Port of Liverpool begins generating power from solar panels

Almost 7,000 solar panels have been installed at Alexandra Dock, Port of Liverpool, and are already producing electricity.

The 6,926 panels on a new 260,000 sq ft warehouse, known as the ‘Alex Shed’, are the first phase of a project that could see up to 48,000 panels installed, described as the UK’s largest solar power initiative.

Peel Ports, in partnership with energy company E.ON, says the project will cut CO2 emissions by 4,700 tonnes annually – equivalent to removing more than 1,600 cars from the roads. Once complete, the array is expected to generate 25MW of electricity, meeting a quarter of the port’s energy needs.

Lewis McIntyre, managing director of port services at Peel Ports, said the panels turn warehouse rooftops into “clean energy assets” and mark a major step towards the company’s goal of sourcing 50% of its energy from renewables by 2030.

E.ON will finance, install, and maintain the full system over a 25-year agreement, employing local contractors and keeping all construction within the port footprint to minimise community impact.

The project follows similar initiatives in the region, including a new 3MW solar farm at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which will supply up to a quarter of the airport’s energy needs.