Tag Archives: portsmouth

Portsmouth Port Makes the Switch to Solar Power

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The installation of the cutting-edge solar and battery system at Portsmouth’s port has passed a final milestone and is now fully operational, according to a statement.

Managed by the in-house energy services and building services teams of Portsmouth City Council installed by Custom Solar and assisted by engineers at the port, the project began with installing roof-mounted solar panels across several buildings, large battery storage, and the first solar canopies at a UK port.

The last piece of the project was finalized in July 2023, where an upgraded connection to the national grid allowed the full potential of the 1.2-megawatt peak system to be realized.

This system, comprised of 2,660 solar panels, provides an impressive 35% of the site’s electricity. With this, the council-owned Portsmouth International Port is one step closer to becoming one of the UK’s first net carbon-neutral ports.

The solar system is complemented by an onsite battery with a capacity of 1.3 megawatt hours, which can power a typical home for four months. It captures renewable energy, which would otherwise be exported to the local electricity network, and redirects it to the port’s buildings when required.

The battery and new solar system work in conjunction with each other, providing balancing services to the national grid and storing power during periods of lower pricing.

Elly Howe, environmental and sustainability coordinator at Portsmouth International Port said: “This huge solar installation and battery storage facility will help the port reach our ambitious sustainability goals. Energy consumption at the port is already down 33% from last year so I’m excited to see what we can achieve in the future.

“Along with our project partners, I’d like also like to thank Brittany Ferries, the port’s biggest customer, for helping to accommodate the work throughout some of the busiest times of the year.”

Virgin’s Scarlet Lady Completes First Year in Service

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Virgin Voyages’ first cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady. completes its first year in service today.

After being delivered in early 2020, the 2,770-guest vessel saw its debut season postponed by over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the entire cruise industry entering a global pause over the health emergency, the ship only received its first paying guests on August 6, 2021.

During the day, the Scarlet Lady departed Portsmouth, England, for a three-night ocean getaway.

Five additional UK sailings followed before the 140,000-ton vessel crossed the Atlantic for its inaugural season in the United States.

In September, the ship docked in New York City before arriving in Miami – its original homeport.

Over 18 months after the initial plans, the Scarlet Lady finally kicked off its inaugural voyage from PortMiami on October 6, 2021.

The vessel then started to offer a year-round program of four- and five-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, with visits to Costa Maya, Amber Cove, Bimini and more.

Designed to reflect the sleek luxury of a yacht, the Scarlet Lady offers, according to Virgin, the intimate and elevated experience of a boutique hotel at sea.

An adults-only ship, it has over 20 dining venues, in addition to many entertainment options. One of the highlights is the vessel’s theatre, known as The Red Room.

Considered a transformational multi-form showroom, the area can be used with four different configurations – a traditional Proscenium stage, an alley stage used in fashion shows, a dance flat-floor configuration and a reverse stage setup.

Another unique feature is The Manor, a two-story, 1970s-style nightclub inspired by Virgin’s heritage in the music business.

Following the Scarlet Lady, a second cruise ship – the Valiant Lady – entered service for Virgin Voyages in March 2022.

Two additional vessels – the Resilient Lady and the Brilliant Lady – are also set to debut for the brand in 2023.

Virgin Voyages has apologised to guests sailing on Valiant Lady

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Valiant Lady seeking into the Port of Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2

Virgin Voyages has apologised to guests sailing on Valiant Lady this week and will offer them a free European voyage this summer, after an onboard medical emergency and overboard incident delayed the ship’s return to Portsmouth as well as its subsequent sailing, which had been due to depart from Portsmouth on Friday (1 April).

During the early hours of Thursday morning (31 March), the ship’s crew were alerted to reports of a guest going overboard, sparking an “extensive” search and rescue mission.


“We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with this passenger’s family and loved ones,” said the line in a statement issued to TTG. “Our investigation has indicated this was an intentional act and no foul play is suspected.”


Earlier in the voyage, another guest suffered a non-Covid-related medical emergency requiring airlift and shoreside care, delaying the ship’s arrival in Lisbon.


“We’re very happy to report that this person is doing well,” said the line. “As a result of seeking timely medical care for this passenger, we did experience a delay in arrival to Lisbon of several hours. Virgin Voyages did not market this port as a two-night stop, the itinerary was a morning arrival and late debark.”

The line said the combination of the two incidents meant the ship, which had been due to sail a three-night Long Weekender in Zeebrugge itinerary from Portsmouth on Friday, was now due back in the UK “no sooner than 6pm on 1 April”.


This has forced the line to delay embarkation for the ship’s next sailing until the morning of 2 April.

“As a gesture of awareness that some were disappointed, we are offering all sailors [guests] a free voyage this summer in Europe onboard either of our ships, Valiant Lady or Resilient Lady,” said Virgin Voyages.


The line added: “We set ourselves a very high standard and in this case, we have fallen short on some things – we are very sorry the experience for some has not been ideal.


“While not everything is in our control, including global supply chain challenges, the weather, or medical emergencies, we remain focused on the sailor [guest] experience and knowledge we need to keep improving.”