Solar port at Southampton Docks

[dan_b]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-h ... e-58571576

THis looks quite big

[nowty]

I'll have to look out for it when I pick up my Telsa.

[AE-NMidlands]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-h ... e-58571576

THis looks quite big

Greenwashing.
The "documentaries" about cruise ships often say (without irony) that their installed generating capacity could power Southampton - for about 4000 passengers and up to 2000 staff! I don't think that covers propulsion either.
A

[Bugtownboy]

Having lived in Southampton and seeing the newer generation Carnival/Disney liners come in, they are huge. From what I can see, they generate something like 60-80 Megawatts. How many football fields is this ?

Seriously, propulsion for something of that size has to be mahoosive.

How many homes would 75 MW power ?

[CrofterMannie]

Not sure about cruise ships but there last drillship I worked on had 64 MW engines and it's diesel tank was 16 million litres.

[Paul_F]

The "documentaries" about cruise ships often say (without irony) that their installed generating capacity could power Southampton - for about 4000 passengers and up to 2000 staff! I don't think that covers propulsion either.

Quite a few of them (I think even the majority nowadays) use series-electric propulsion - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azipod so I'd expect the installed power to match peak demand for propulsion plus hotel loads.
The big point here isn't the PV array but the grid connection to the ship - that means when in port they can turn all the engines off, and use grid power at ~250g/kWh rather than diesel genset power at ~800g/kWh plus local air pollution problems.

[AE-NMidlands]

OK, but cruises like that are still an obscenely wasteful way of having a holiday.
A

[Mart]

On a similar vein, hasn't there been some news about ports possibly using electric tug boats in the future, in order to reduce local air pollution? Can't remember when or where I heard this, and not necessarily UK news, but perhaps it's a small (tiny) first step in the right direction. Also reminds me of something similar at airports where the us of tugs is being encouraged to reduce jet engine use. But I've no idea if these are electric yet.

[Bugtownboy]

Yep, Tugs

https://www.maritime-executive.com/feat ... -the-way-1

and Ferries

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50233206

[Stinsy]

On a similar vein, hasn't there been some news about ports possibly using electric tug boats in the future, in order to reduce local air pollution? Can't remember when or where I heard this, and not necessarily UK news, but perhaps it's a small (tiny) first step in the right direction. Also reminds me of something similar at airports where the us of tugs is being encouraged to reduce jet engine use. But I've no idea if these are electric yet.

I remember a guy from another place who worked on an electric ferry in Scotland. I wonder if he made the jump?

Tugs and other short-range vessels are a no-brainier for battery-electric propulsion.

Towing aircraft to the runway has been tried a few times to save fuel (whenever the price of oil peaks) but has been discounted because of safety. Running the jet engines under load for a few mins while taxiing is a good way to allow problems to show themselves before takeoff is attempted.

I imagine an electric tow aeroplane a bit like those used with gliders being a good solution. It could assist with takeoff detach at a few thousand ft, land and recharge… save fuel, extend the range of aircraft, save CO2, save localised pollution, etc.