Portsmouth Port has commissioned the UK’s first multi-berth shore power system, allowing compatible ferries and cruise ships to connect to the local electricity grid while alongside.

The system is now operational after final testing and is available at three of the port’s five berths, Portsmouth International Port said in a social media post on Friday.

Brittany Ferries’ hybrid-electric vessels St Malo and Guillaume de Normandie connected to the system during testing.

AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol was the first cruise ship to use the shore power facility during commissioning, followed by Phoenix Reisen’s Amera.

The port said the system will improve local air quality by allowing vessels to switch off their auxiliary engines while berthed, a step that matters at busy ports where ships can otherwise continue running engines while docked.

It also said the facility enables Brittany Ferries’ hybrid vessels to enter and leave Portsmouth Harbour using battery power.

Shore power can reduce emissions, although its climate impact depends on the electricity source. For ports handling regular ferry and cruise traffic, the new installation adds another operational option for vessels that are equipped to use it, while leaving the system’s wider environmental benefit tied to how the grid electricity is generated.