The Development of Alternative Fuel Infrastructure in Irish Ports; A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Transportation across the European Union is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels. To help reduce this dependency and the associated harmful environmental effects, the EU Commission established an alternative fuels strategy. The strategy identified the lack of supporting infrastructure as a key obstacle to the uptake of alternative fuel technology. As a result, EU Directive 2014/94/EU was developed to address these issues and was published in November 2014. In the maritime sector, the directive obliges Member States to install shore-side electricity (SSE) for seagoing ships in the ports of the TEN-T Core Network1 . In addition, Member States must ensure that an appropriate number of liquefied natural gas (LNG) refuelling points are put in place at maritime ports to enable vessels using LNG to circulate throughout the TEN-T Network. These objectives are to be met by 31 December 2025, unless there is an absence of demand or the relevant costs are disproportionate to the benefits. Motivated by the EU directive, this report has two distinct aims. First, to conduct a feasibility study of SSE for seagoing ships in TEN-T Irish ports and secondly, to assess the market demand for LNG fuelling facilities in major Irish ports. To accomplish the report’s objectives, it is important to understand where best practice has occurred in terms of Alternative Fuel Infrastructure (AFI) deployment. The report examines the factors that determine locational or sectoral concentrations in the deployment of AFI, and discusses the applicability of these factors to the Irish context. The report reaches conclusions about the feasibility of the deployment of AFI in Irish ports.