New electric hook ups to replace diesel power for canal boats on Camden’s Regent’s Canal
Camden Council, in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and the Mayor of London, have completed the first stage of a project to install electrical power sources for canal boats on the Regent’s Canal.
In 2020 Camden and the Canal & River Trust received £65,500 from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund for a project to install four electricity power supplies at a popular canal boat visitor mooring area near King’s Cross.
The project, named the ‘Camden Electric Moorings’, was designed to provide a clean, convenient and affordable alternative power source for boaters moored in this area, rather than having to rely upon diesel engines.
Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden, said:
“Air pollution is the largest environmental risk for health, and as many as 4,100 deaths in London each year are attributed to exposure to polluted air.
“Air pollution comes from many sources including from the use of fossil fuels such as diesel in vehicle engines, like those often used on canal boats for propulsion and on-board electricity generation.
“The Camden Electric Moorings will help to improve air quality and protect public health in the vicinity of the canal, which in addition to the mooring area includes several residential buildings as well as a primary school. The Moorings will also help to tackle the climate crisis by enabling boaters to switch from diesel to green mains electricity while moored.”
Ros Daniels, Canal & River Trust Director for London & Southeast Region, said:
“The Camden Electric Moorings are a positive step towards improving air quality for boaters and others in the immediate vicinity of the canal.
“Many boaters are also eco-conscious, and these moorings are an alternative to diesel or solid fuel sources, while still being available to those who do not yet have a mains connection. We know that spending time by water boosts mental and physical wellbeing and, as the charity that looks after 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, we are keen to find green solutions that will work for all those who use them.”
Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues, said:
“Whilst the Mayor of London has made huge strides in cleaning up the capital’s toxic air, there is still more to do. It’s vital we tackle air pollution from all sources. The Camden Electric Moorings project, supported by the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund, will help cut emissions from boats moored on the Regent’s Canal.
“Power bollards along the towpath will provide electricity to boats as an alternative to diesel engines and wood-burning. This will reduce people’s exposure to toxic emissions, particularly benefitting boaters, pedestrians and pupils of the nearby Abacus Belsize Primary School.
“I’m pleased to support Camden in taking another step towards combatting the toxic air in our city and I look forward to seeing more electric moorings commissioned across London’s canal network.”
Camden has committed to achieving the ambitious World Health Organization air quality standards throughout the borough as part of its commitment to improve air quality and protect the health of all who live, work, and study in Camden, and this includes boating communities living on the Regent’s Canal.
The Camden Electric Moorings comprises power supply bollards for up to sixteen boats positioned along the Regent’s Canal towpath at the popular visitor mooring area between Camley Street and St. Pancras Way.
- The Camden Electric Moorings power supplies will be available for boaters without the need to pre-book a mooring space and their use will not be enforced, so boaters unable to connect to mains power will still be able to moor their boats in the Camden Electric Moorings area.
- The project was made possible with £65,500 from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, was managed by Canal & River Trust and completed by the Trust’s eco moorings contractor Land & Water.
- For further information, please contact [email protected]