Electric Thames project reveals scale of emissions

21 May 2025

New data released by UK Power Networks has revealed the extent of energy use and emissions from commercial vessels on the River Thames, as the company advances plans to electrify the waterway and reduce maritime carbon emissions.

The findings come as part of the ongoing Electric Thames project, which aims to enable the use of electric vessels and innovative technologies like Vessel-to-Grid (V2G).

Vessel-to-Grid technology is a key innovation being explored, which allows electric boats to act as floating batteries, feeding surplus power back into the electricity grid when moored. This would help balance supply and demand during peak periods, while potentially saving them money.

UK Power Networks, in collaboration with partners including LCP Delta, Marine Zero, ev.energy and the Port of London Authority, has now completed a review of tracking data from 62 of the 180 commercial vessels operating regularly on the River Thames. They used 38 GWh of energy a year, which is equivalent to 10 million litres of diesel, resulting in 27,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions. 

The company says this analysis is helping it understand what upgrades may be needed to the electricity network to support a future with more clean-powered boats.

So far, 21 riverside locations have been identified that could host charging infrastructure for electric vessels, supporting activity ranging from commercial transport to tourism. In addition, the team is advising vessel operators on practical, cost-effective ways to switch to low-emission technologies, as it plans for future electricity demand along the river.

“The work being done to integrate electric vessels with technologies like Vessel-to-Grid is a major step forward,” said Luca Grella, head of innovation at UK Power Networks. “With promising early results and the backing of key partners, we believe Electric Thames is setting the stage for a sustainable, resilient energy future.”

Marine Zero’s operations director Andy Hurley added that the use of operational data had enabled the team to create more accurate energy models and financial forecasts. “This data-driven approach has optimised our decision-making process and strengthened stakeholder confidence in our implementation strategy,” he said.