Associated British Ports and DP World are advancing in parallel over decarbonisation programmes in the south of England. Battery energy storage plans at the Port of Southampton are emerging as a critical enabling layer for wider electrification across the port estate, linking grid-scale infrastructure investment by Associated British Ports (ABP) with operational decarbonisation initiatives led by DP World.
A large battery energy storage system (BESS) in the 200MW / 500MWh range, is planned for Marchwood, adjacent to ABP’s Southampton operations. It is intended to strengthen grid resilience and support electrified port activity, including future shore power and heavy vehicle charging demand.
The development, being delivered in partnership with specialists in the sector, BW ESS, on a brownfield site at Marchwood Industrial Park. Currently, it is scheduled to be operational by late 2028 following planning consent from New Forest District Council, the local civic administration. At the same time, DP World has expanded its low-carbon freight initiative through the EVITA (Electric Vehicle Introduction and Transition Accelerator) programme, including a new electric heavy goods vehicle trial designed to test zero-emission freight movements linked to UK logistics corridors, including Southampton. Taken together, the projects highlight how power infrastructure and fleet electrification are becoming interdependent.
Infrastructure for port electrification
The Marchwood BESS project will deliver 200MW of power capacity and 500MWh of storage, placing it among the larger UK battery installations in development. BW ESS, the developer and operator, confirmed the facility will be built on around seven acres of brownfield land close to the National Grid substation, allowing direct grid connection with minimal additional reinforcement. The site is part of ABP’s wider Southampton estate, where existing buildings have reached the end of their operational life.
ABP has described the scheme as part of its wider “mission of Enabling the Energy Transition”. In its announcement, the port operator said: “The facility will support the resilience and sustainability of regional and national power networks.” The battery is intended to provide grid balancing services while also underpinning future port-side demand, including electrified cargo handling equipment, shore power systems, and the growing requirement for rapid charging infrastructure for heavy vehicles serving port logistics flows.
DP World EVITA programme
DP World’s EVITA programme represents a parallel strand of investment in operational decarbonisation. It focuses on electrified heavy goods vehicle (HGV) movements linked to its UK logistics and container terminal operations. The company has expanded its low-carbon truck initiative with a new electric HGV trial, designed to assess the viability of battery-electric freight operations in real-world conditions. The programme builds on earlier trials aimed at reducing Scope 3 emissions across supply chains serving major UK ports, including Southampton.
The EVITA initiative is explicitly focused on integrating vehicle electrification with port and inland logistics infrastructure. DP World stated that the programme is intended to “accelerate the adoption of low-carbon freight solutions” and test operational feasibility under commercial conditions. While the company has not directly linked EVITA to ABP’s grid-scale battery project, the operational requirements of electric HGV fleets underline the need for stable, high-capacity power availability at port gateways and distribution corridors.
Integrated energy and logistics hub
The convergence of ABP’s battery storage investment and DP World’s electrified freight programme highlights Southampton’s role as an emerging testbed for integrated port decarbonisation. ABP is advancing multiple strands of energy infrastructure, including a smaller 3.75MW pilot battery system within the port estate alongside the larger Marchwood facility. These developments are designed to provide operational flexibility at a port where electrification of cranes, terminal equipment and shore power systems will significantly increase peak electricity demand.
DP World’s container terminal at Southampton is similarly engaged in long-term decarbonisation planning, with electrified freight trials forming part of a broader global strategy. The EVITA programme is being used to assess infrastructure readiness across key logistics corridors. In combination with ABP’s grid-scale storage investment, the initiatives point to a structural shift in which ports are no longer simply energy consumers but active participants in grid management and energy storage, required to balance increasingly complex power flows.
Grid capacity becomes a decisive factor
A key constraint underpinning both initiatives is grid capacity at coastal logistics hubs such as Southampton. Electrification of cargo handling equipment, alongside shore power provision for shipping and electrified road freight, is expected to significantly increase peak demand. The Marchwood BESS is intended to mitigate these constraints by storing surplus electricity and releasing it during periods of high demand, effectively smoothing load profiles and reducing pressure on local grid infrastructure.
Industry stakeholders increasingly view battery storage as essential enabling infrastructure rather than a standalone energy asset. ABP has positioned its Southampton investment as a replicable model across its UK port portfolio, with BW ESS citing a broader 10GW global pipeline. For DP World, electrified freight trials such as EVITA depend on reliable charging infrastructure and predictable energy availability. Together, the programmes illustrate how ports are becoming integrated energy nodes. Logistics performance and grid flexibility are increasingly interdependent.