More energy capacity is needed in Southampton if plans for more cruise ships to charge up at the port are to go ahead.

The port’s shore power facilities came online at two of its five cruise terminals two years ago, allowing cruise ships to plug into the National Grid.

At the time, owner Associated British Ports (ABP) said only one of the charging points would operate at a time to avoid an excessive drain on power in Southampton.

It has now been confirmed that energy capacity limitations need to be addressed if the port is to expand its shore power facilities.

Cllr John Savage, Southampton City Council cabinet member for green city and net zero, said there was currently “very limited” grid access.

“If we were to have another shore power plug in, another terminal, we could be struggling to get power across the city,” Cllr Savage said.

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“Going forward over the next couple of years as things stand, we have a real shortage of power across the city even without any additional shore power provision.”

Speaking at the cabinet meeting last month (October), leader Cllr Lorna Fielker said the issues around the grid were not localised to Southampton although the city had “a particular challenge”.

She said the situation had been raised with MPs through the Key Cities All Parliamentary Group.

“It’s really important we can get enough electricity in so we can decarbonise the city,” Cllr Fielker said.

The use of shore power improved air quality by limiting the time ships are in port with their engines running, the port said.

An ABP spokesperson said: “Over 25 per cent of our cruise calls are scheduled to be using the port’s shore power in 2025 and we want to be able to offer this service to more ships.

“We are working with a range of stakeholders including network operators and Southampton City Council to free up the energy capacity needed to allow further deployment of shore power as soon as possible.”

A National Grid spokesperson said they work collaboratively with all key parties to find solutions to meet project connection requirements.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said work was ongoing with ABP and other stakeholders on the future needs of the port.

A spokesperson for SSEN Distribution said they were confident connections on the distribution network could be made in line with plans for growth.

“Where connections are contingent on development of the upstream transmission network, operated by National Grid Electricity Transmission, we are working collaboratively to understand their upgrade timelines, potential for acceleration and to develop flexible solutions to allow quicker connections for our customers,” the SSEN Distribution spokesperson added.