News & Media

29th September 2022

Major roll-out of EV charging at Port of Tyne

Port of Tyne has made a substantial investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as part of its drive to decarbonise.

Located in North-East England, Port of Tyne is one of the UK’s most efficient deep sea ports, handling goods from around the globe as well as ferry and cruise ship passengers. The Port required EV charging points across multiple locations on Tyneside, to support the transition of its van fleet to battery power. It also wanted to provide workplace charging for employees.

Port of Tyne turned to EV charging specialists Mer to help provide a solution. Also situated in the North-East, Mer delivered a comprehensive charging infrastructure package, based on a detailed survey of all Port of Tyne sites. Mer installed 11 7kW charging points on the South Shields site, including the authority’s headquarters at Maritime House where Mer replaced an older charging post. Mer also deployed a dual 7kW charger at the Port of Tyne’s main ferry terminal building on the northern side of the river.

Dominique Davies, Group Procurement Manager for Port of Tyne, said: “This investment in infrastructure is part of the Port of Tyne’s ongoing commitment to reduce emissions wherever possible.

“Mer listened to what we wanted and delivered cost-effective solutions tailored to our needs - for both our own fleet and for workplace charging. The Mer Connect software and app enables us to get the best possible usage out of our chargers, by making them accessible to both our van users and our employees.”

The Mer Connect platform provides automated charger management, and the ability to set tariffs, as well as reporting functionality. The app enables users to access the chargers, including taking payments if tariffs are in use.

With facilities in London and Consett in County Durham, Mer is one of the UK’s leading providers of workplace, fleet and personal EV charging infrastructure. The company has a unique offering which combines its consultative approach with extensive charger knowledge and superior software and apps.

In 2019 Port of Tyne launched its ambitious Tyne 2050 strategy to lead the way in key areas such as environment and technology, with an ambition to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2030 and to electrify the entire port by 2040. Port of Tyne is well on its way to delivering against this objective. Alongside investing in new EVs and chargers, it has installed LED lighting and asset and smart energy meters in every building, it looks set to deliver a solar PV solution and other carbon reduction plans are in motion. The port’s commitment to become a clean energy enterprise and innovation hub, is further underlined by its creation of the Tyne Clean Energy Park. This aims to provide a strategic base for the region’s rapidly growing renewable energy sector.

Karl Anders, Managing Director of Mer, said: “Port of Tyne is a huge asset to North-East England, so we’re very proud to be supporting their decarbonisation plans. Ports around the UK are looking at installing more chargers to meet the needs of their own EV fleets and growing demand for workplace charging from employees. At Mer we have developed a successful blueprint by providing a comprehensive, end-to-end service that makes this process both simple and cost-effective.”