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Written question asked by Lord Berkeley (Labour) on Monday, 2 March 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 March 2026. It was answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Shipping: UK Emissions Trading Scheme

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received from shipping operators about concerns about the absence of sufficient shore-power infrastructure, limited port grid capacity and lack of alternative fuels at scale; and what plans they have to address those concerns before the commencement of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme for the maritime sector.

Answer

Following the launch of the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy in March 2025, the Government has extensively engaged with shipping operators, ports, and the wider maritime sector. This includes engagement on shore power availability, grid capacity constraints and alternative fuels. We ran a call for evidence on Net Zero Ports that gathered evidence on current and future grid capacity at ports, as well as drivers of that future energy demand, and will continue working with industry to understand their needs.

This Government has worked with the National Energy System Operator and Ofgem to implement bold new reforms to the grid connections process. We are committed to ensuring ports future energy needs are taken into account as part of reforms and future planning of the network, and to working with industry to understand wider challenges such as energy costs.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL15019
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Infrastructure Fuels Ports Shipping UK emissions trading scheme
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk