Low Carbon Ready

Electric Thames

Project Data

Start date:

10/01/2024

End date:

03/31/2025

Budget:

£556,338

Summary

Electric Thames explores how electric vessels can support the grid by supplying power during peak demand — reducing strain, cutting CO₂ emissions, and unlocking new revenue opportunities for users through flexibility services. It’s a smarter, cleaner way to balance the network while accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels.

What is the project about?

Today, most vessels, docks, and ports on the Thames still rely on fossil fuels—but this is beginning to change as the river’s economy moves toward decarbonisation. Historically, marine and energy network planning have progressed separately, creating a risk that rising energy demand along the Thames could drive up decarbonisation costs.

To enable the shift to electrification, we need to develop the right charging infrastructure—not only to support electric vessels, but also to unlock the potential of Boat-to-Grid (B2G) flexibility services.

When moored, electric vessel operators could feed surplus power back into the grid, supporting the network during periods of peak demand and participating in flexibility markets. Another application of B2G is the use of floating battery barges—charged overnight when electricity prices are low, then relocated to high-demand areas to reinforce the grid and reduce the need for costly infrastructure upgrades.

By working closely with stakeholders across the marine and energy sectors, this project will map out a roadmap for electrifying maritime transport in the central Thames area and explore the economic and environmental benefits of B2G integration.

How we’re doing it

This project is developing an innovative, integrated energy system and a robust business case that fully accounts for the impacts of decarbonising vessels, docks, and quays along the Thames. To achieve this, we will:

Design technical solutions for vessel charging, shore power supply, and flexibility services such as Boat-to-Grid (B2G)
Engage with vessel operators to understand operational duty cycles and explore opportunities to reduce power demand and energy storage requirements
Identify strategic charging locations that support clean maritime operations — validated in collaboration with the Port of London Authority (PLA) to align with their decarbonisation strategy
Develop investment-ready business models that reflect user needs, shaped through input from project partners and key stakeholders
Conduct a Cost-Benefit Assessment based on the preferred business models, including detailed financial analysis to support a future demonstrator
Hold in-depth consultations with key users to ensure strong engagement in the trial phase. The business case and ‘Green Corridor’ concept will be refined through stakeholder feedback and validation
Create a roadmap for the wider adoption of clean maritime solutions, extending benefits to other users and regions.

What makes it innovative

Our approach is truly innovative, as it represents the first clean maritime planning framework to consider energy network requirements alongside the needs of marine users, Local Authorities and other key stakeholders.

In contrast, traditional decarbonisation efforts for waterways often involve extensive, piecemeal energy infrastructure upgrades at multiple connection points. Planning in isolation —between maritime operators, Local Authorities, and Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) — can lead to inefficiencies and delays. Without coordinated efforts, marine users are less likely to invest in clean technologies, putting the 2040 decarbonisation target for the Thames at risk.

Our integrated approach delivers ambitious innovation by:

Identifying the most effective pathways to decarbonise Thames-based traffic and operations through electrification and the potential use of hydrogen.
Investigating the role of ‘floating batteries’, which can charge and discharge at different times and locations to help manage local network constraints.
Exploring grid-scale battery solutions to enable flexible, high-speed charging for vessels, ensuring reliable and resilient maritime operations.
Conducting detailed engineering design for vessel electrification—covering both onboard energy requirements and the charging infrastructure needed for bi-directional power flows.

This coordinated, system-wide approach aims to accelerate clean maritime adoption while reducing infrastructure costs and improving long-term energy resilience across the Thames corridor.

What we’re learning

During the Discovery phase, we worked closely with vessel operators, quay owners, and the Port of London Authority (PLA) to understand their needs and shape our approach accordingly. Through this engagement, we uncovered several key insights:

There is strong support among marine users, especially for Boat-to-Grid (B2G) services, which could help offset the costs of new infrastructure
A major barrier is the lack of a coordinated approach to electrification across the Thames
Infrastructure development around quays presents unique challenges, particularly where sites are located in culturally or historically protected areas

In the Alpha phase, we identified further technical and operational hurdles. For example, retrofitting existing vessels with batteries or hydrogen fuel cells is often impractical or unfeasible. Additionally, there’s the challenge of deploying sufficient charging infrastructure to meet demand, especially for operators whose vessels are in near-constant use. For these users, ensuring vessels are equipped with batteries large enough to last a full operating cycle is critical.

By continuing to engage with operators and analysing vessel traffic data, we’re building a deeper understanding of operational patterns across different vessel types—insights that are vital to designing practical, scalable electrification solutions.

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