Associated British Ports launches £2 billion plan for energy transition growth and to reach net zero by 2040

For their own operations ABP have identified five focus areas for action: Net Zero, air quality, biodiversity, waste and water management. Each focus area has its own programme of action plans – which includes action ideas from ABP’s employees – to achieve ambitious but credible targets. This includes a commitment to reach net zero from ABP’s own operations (Scopes 1 and 2) by 2040.

Maritime minister Baroness Vere, said: 

“The UK is a pioneer in cutting-edge clean maritime solutions, with hundreds of millions of pounds of government funding being invested in developing greener, cleaner vessels and infrastructure.

“However, it’s vital that industry also invests in our future, and I’m therefore very pleased to see Associated British Ports doing just that, ensuring we’re Ready for Tomorrow and injecting billions into decarbonising our maritime sector.”

The strategy embraces the fact that ports, and in particular ABP, as the UK’s largest ports operator, have a vital and unique enabling role for a range of major decarbonisation and sustainability projects. This includes continuing to develop offshore wind manufacturing and support hubs in the Humber and East Anglia, as well as more than doubling its own green power generation.

ABP’s future major projects portfolio, along with industrial partners, includes developments in South Wales, the Solent, Humber and East Anglia. These cover floating offshore wind (including a major integration port hub centred on Port Talbot), hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, industrial decarbonisation and alternative fuels.

The company’s £2 billion green growth and decarbonisation plan brings together projects that will deliver major emissions reduction and sustainability improvements for ABP itself with green growth energy transition projects developed in partnership with customers.