Innovate UK and the UK Department for Transport, in collaboration with project partners Forth Ports, Targe Towing, Logan Energy, PlusZero, and Waterwhelm, showcased the world’s first Green Hydrogen Shore Power Demonstrator at the Port of Leith on March 13, 2025, according to the company's release.
The demonstrator uses clean, green hydrogen energy to reduce carbon emissions from vessels when berthed, integrating innovative water treatment, waste heat utilization, and hydrogen production for maritime operations.
Targe Towing’s large tugs at the Port of Leith are now powered by green hydrogen when tied up, marking an important step in port decarbonization.
The project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), funded by the UK Department for Transport with a £236 million initiative under the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme.
The event, attended by Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, and senior stakeholders, included a live demonstration of the hydrogen-powered system and sessions on clean energy innovation, aligning with the Forth Green Freeport (FGF) objectives to grow the hydrogen economy.
Waterwhelm’s technology treats effluent from a nearby wastewater treatment works to produce re-use water for green hydrogen, operating at lower pressure with the world’s lowest electricity consumption and carbon emissions rates.
Logan Energy’s electrolyser technology splits this water into oxygen and hydrogen, which PlusZero Power’s Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (HICE) generator converts into green electricity to power tugboats, replacing diesel generators.
Innovate UK, established in 2007 and headquartered in Swindon, England, is a government agency under the Department for Business and Trade, funding over £1 billion annually in innovation projects.
Forth Ports, founded in 1967 and based in Edinburgh, Scotland, manages eight UK ports, including Leith, handling 30 million tonnes of cargo annually and targeting net zero by 2042.
Targe Towing, a Scottish tugboat operator established in 1980 and based in Leith, provides maritime support services at Forth Ports, with a fleet of eight vessels as of 2024.