From concept to application: ’Living Port’ model for decarbonised ports

Decarbonising ports require significant grid capacity to manage activities within the port boundary, such as electrified ship operations and port-side loads. Beyond the port boundary, activities within the port trigger related demand in surrounding infrastructure - termed the ’ripple effect’. This paper introduces the ’Living Port’ model, a data-driven tool that integrates real-world electrical demand data from multiple partially decarbonised ports with simulated ripple effects to assess the electricity network impact. The model is showcased through two extreme-case prototypes: Southampton and Orkney. This work established the Living Port as a practical tool for stress-testing decarbonisation pathways in ports of varying scales and electrification readiness, offering a scalable methodology for aligning port energy transitions with grid requirements.