Associated British Ports: Ready for Tomorrow

The Project

ABP’s Ready for Tomorrow strategy has been developed in the context of the UK’s legally binding target to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

The group already has 29MW of renewable power capacity at its ports, and has successfully reduced its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 39% between 2014 and 2021. It is now aiming to reach net zero from its own operations by 2040, 10 years ahead of the government’s timetable.   

The Ready for Tomorrow strategy outlines ABP’s contribution to a more sustainable society through significant investment in decarbonising its own operations and also in developing the infrastructure that will underpin the UK’s transition to a Net Zero economy. The strategy details ABP’s plans across five themes: net zero, biodiversity, air quality, waste and water.   

Port Talbot: a green industriual revolution in South Wales  

By 2030, floating offshore wind (FLOW) turbines will be moving into the commercial mainstream. The turbines built will be megastructures, with foundations as big as football fields and blade tips reaching as high as London’s Shard building.

Hundreds of turbines will be needed to generate the initial 4GW by 2035 target set by government, and the developers will need to base themselves at a nearby port. Only ABP’s Port Talbot has the combination ofdeep water, capacity to scale and strategic location close to the planned wind farms.

This will create a transformational opportunity for the UK in a new, high-productivity, strategic industry – spinning out up to 16,000 skilled jobs, triggering the growth of a new supply chain, and creating new export opportunities.

Port of Immingham: enabling the net zero transition

ABP is planning to invest in the Immingham Green Energy Terminal (IGET), a first-of-its-kind import facility for green ammonia which will then be transferred to a hydrogen production facility operated by Air Products.

Green hydrogen from the Immingham facility will enable heavy transport, such as HGVs and buses, to transition away from diesel, eliminating around 580,00 tonnes of CO2 and improving air quality.

IGET will also be used to import carbon dioxide captured by heavy industry in the UK and overseas. ABP’s Port of Immigham - in collaboration with the Viking CCS project run by Harbour Energy and bp - will provide interim storage, then the CO2 will then be piped offshore to dedicated storage under the North Sea. The project will enable a 15 million tonne reduction in UK emissions by 2035.

ABP’s infrastructure investment will be critical in enabling the decarbonisation of heavy industry and the logistics supply chain – two hard-to-abate areas of the economy.

Port of Southampton: leading the way on air quality

In April 2022, the Port of Southampton celebrated a major milestone with the successful commissioning and use of its shore power facility for cruise ships.

The project underscores how clean maritime technologies can be deployed to help shipping companies to reduce emissions and improve port air quality.

In June 2018, the Port of Southampton was the first ABP port – and one of the first ports nationally – to publish its air quality strategy, and has recently published an update on its achievements and future plans.

Port of Grimsby: encouraging biodiversity

At this site, ABP has invested in a five-hectare site designed to mitigate the effects of habitat loss on curlews and other wading birds.

One of the UK’s most important conservation priorities, the curlew has been in decline for many years due to climate change, predation and loss of breeding habitat.

The scheme is already showing excellent results, with ecologists recording 225 curlews, 153 redshanks and 13 dunlins in a recent count. 

Find out more at https://readyfortomorrow.abports.co.uk/