The Milford Haven : Energy Kingdom project set our to detail how the complex structures of policy, regulation, markets, technologies and interoperability – along with other energy vectors such as natural gas and electricity – could enable hydrogen to form an integrated part of a smart local energy system.

Milford Haven has staked a claim to be at the forefront of the Net Zero transition, with an industrial cluster that can handle 30% of total UK gas demand, is home to Europe’s largest gas-fired power station that supplies electricity to 3.5 million homes and businesses, has ambitions to build 90MW of floating offshore wind, supports 5,000 jobs and injects £324m to the Pembrokeshire economy.

Our Systems Engineering team produced a Systems Architecture report for Milford Haven with support from over 40 organisations, as part of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution programme funded by InnovateUk.

The report explored future energy system architectures, that combine technology, the interconnectivity between them and data; with markets, trading platforms and policies; with business models and defined organisational governance. The aim of these designs is to provide:

• The basis for a roadmap for the next phases of development and implementation
• Confidence to innovators and investors in the future longevity of investments in hydrogen
• A common basis of understanding for all stakeholders wishing to contribute to the Milford Haven : Energy Kingdom.

Portsmouth International Port is piloting a smart energy system to significantly decarbonise their port operations as part of the Port Energy Systems Optimisation (PESO) project.

The PESO solution will integrate local electricity generation with innovation in: the design and construction of novel dual-chemistry battery technology, advanced management software to optimise onsite energy generation and storage, and development of smart port grid infrastructure.

The aim is to demonstrate how ports can meet emerging on-shore power demands and the requirements of ships as they increasingly use shore power and adopt electric propulsion whilst minimizing the need for expensive grid upgrading and optimising the use of variable tariffs.

Our Clean Tech Engineering team assessed the future energy requirements around ports and the long term impact on the energy system, while Swanbarton, specialists in energy storage and control technologies, developed energy management software. Marine South East is leading the project and will plan how the technology can be commercialised and rolled out across UK ports as rapidly as possible.

Ellesmere Port in Cheshire is home to one of the UK’s largest industrial clusters – featuring major manufacturing employers, including oil refining, glass manufacture, nuclear enrichment, chemical production and automotive.

This concentration of industry means the area around Ellesmere Port consumes around 5% of the UK’s energy, with Cheshire West and Chester local authority being the fourth largest carbon emitter in the country with a climate emergency declared locally.

Energy Systems Catapult provided Whole Systems Modelling and Systems Engineering capabilities to help the Ellesmere Port – Cheshire Energy Hub consortium identify a portfolio of opportunities across renewables, hydrogen, carbon capture, energy storage and smart grids that offers long-term, sustainable investment opportunities as a pathway towards Net Zero.

An investment blueprint has been developed which could see £1 billion spent on low carbon projects in Cheshire and nearly 3 million tonnes of CO2 saved by 2030.