Peel Ports Group has unveiled plans to install the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar energy system at the Port of Liverpool.
The country’s second-largest port operator announced E.ON as one of its net-zero partners on Monday, with the port energy plans being among the first few joint projects in the pipeline. A future project will also repower the existing wind turbines on the banks of the River Mersey with fewer, larger turbines.
The first stage of the 25-year agreement between the two companies could see as many as 63 000 solar panels, the equivalent of 18 football pitches, installed on 26 buildings across the Port of Liverpool, Peels Ports Group said in a statement.
The panels could generate up to 31MW of renewable electricity and provide the same amount of power as the annual needs of more than 10 000 average UK homes.. The exact number of panels and their generation potential will be confirmed in the final designs but the solar array is expected to be the largest of its kind in the UK and will generate up to 25% of the Port’s annual electricity needs.
The solar panels will reduce CO₂ emissions from the site by more than 6 500 tonnes annually, the equivalent of taking more than 2 250 cars off the road.
“Minimising disruption within the local area, the project will be wholly contained within the existing footprint of the port, using existing roof space and bringing all equipment and technology directly to the port by sea, removing any impact on local roads. More than 6 000 solar panels have already been delivered to the port ready to be installed on the new 240 000 square foot Alexandra Dock warehouse, which is nearing completion,” Peel Ports Group said in a statement.
The project is being financed and delivered by E.ON and is due to be completed by mid-2026.
The second stage of the agreement will replace the five existing wind turbines at the port with four new, larger turbines generating close to 20MW. This will bring Peel Ports Group within reach of its ambition of powering the Port of Liverpool entirely by renewable energy generated on site, including at night and over winter when the solar panels are not producing as much energy. It is expected this phase could begin as early as 2027/28.
Peel Ports Group CEO, Claudio Veritiero, said the project would revolutionise the port’s energy system.
“Ports of the future need to become more sustainable environments and we must play our part in a greener supply chain. There is still work to do, but this project is a huge step for Peel Ports Group in cutting emissions and driving our ambition to become a net-zero port operator by 2040,” Veritiero said.
E.ON UK CEO, Chris Norbury, said decarbonising the port would be vital for the UK to achieve its environmental goals.
“We all need to move faster on reducing emissions and this huge project will be a massive step in the right direction,” said Norbury.
“We’ve been the energy supplier for Peel Ports Group for more than 20 years and I’m proud they’re putting their trust in us and our relationship so far to create what will be a clean energy system fit for decades to come.”
He said Sefton Council and Liverpool City Council had granted planning approval for the solar system.
