- Commencement of work on electricity supply connections for ships at Le Havre cruise terminal involved stakeholders such as Normandy and Seine-Maritime Prefectures, Le Havre city hall, Le Havre Seine Métropole, Le Havre Croisières, Normandy’s regional government, ENEDIS, and VINCI Energies – Actemium.
- The initiative is part of HAROPA PORT’s strategic project focusing on the ecological and energy transition of maritime and port activities, particularly reducing emissions from cruise activity.
- By 2026, all cruise docks at Le Havre will be electrified to enable “zero fumes” port calls, offering benefits like improved air quality, reduced emissions, lower fossil fuel consumption, and decreased vibration and noise pollution.
- Each supply outlet can provide up to 13MW, with a maximum of 30MW across all three quays, potentially reducing emissions by 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
- The electrification project, known as RENAQ (Electrical Connections for Ships at Berth), aligns with EU regulations and electrification targets for 2030.
Electrifying Le Havre Cruise Terminal
Construction commencement marks the launch of electricity supply connections for ships at berth at Le Havre cruise terminal, attended by stakeholders including the Normandy Region and Seine-Maritime Prefectures, Le Havre city hall, Le Havre Seine Métropole, Le Havre Croisières, Normandy’s regional government, ENEDIS, and VINCI Energies – Actemium, the awarded contractor for the public procurement contract following ENEDIS’s public grid extension project.
At the core of HAROPA PORT’s strategic project, the ecological and energy transition of maritime and port activities must involve a reduction in the emissions produced by cruise activity. The purpose of the work planned for Florida Point is to assist the energy transition in the sea cruise sector. By 2026, all cruise docks will be electrified for “zero fumes” Le Havre port calls. There are numerous benefits to supplying electrical power to ships at berth: improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, lower fossil fuel consumption, and less vibration and noise pollution, thereby providing greater societal acceptability.
Each supply outlet will be capable of providing up to 13MW, subject to a maximum of 30MW (or the equivalent of the power required to supply 5,000 homes) on all three quays simultaneously. Electricity supply at berth can in this way cut emissions by between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes of CO₂ every year.
Infrastructure Development For Ship Electrification
This operation to connect cruise ships to a landside source of electrical power during their time in port, termed RENAQ in French (Raccordement Électrique des Navires A Quai / Electrical Connections for Ships at Berth) is aligned with compliance with EU regulations (AFIR and FuelEU Maritime regulations) and electrification targets for 2030.
Before the start of the construction work, the connection to the public grid provided by ENEDIS required the creation of a three-kilometer underground network comprising three 20kV cables and the installation of an additional 40MVA EHV/HV transformer at the distribution substation for increased capacity. This grid connection required an investment of €5.6m.
Hangar 13 on Florida Point will be modified to provide an available area of 1,200 sq.m. to accommodate high-voltage distribution equipment and conversion systems to adapt the network operated by ENEDIS to the specific needs of ships. An underground cable network will be laid, connecting to carriages fitted with articulated arms that will take five power outlets, each weighing 15kg, to the ships, irrespective of their precise location on the three cruise terminal quays.
Phase Rollout And Investment Breakdown
The electrification of Pierre Callet Quay will be operational as early as 2025 and is the first phase of this very substantial project. Roger Meunier and Joannès Couvert quays will provide the same reception facilities, by the end of 2025 and early in 2026 respectively.
An investment of €32m has been earmarked for this project, which benefits from government support of €13.6m under the “France Relance” economic stimulus plan and €900,000 from the coal and steel research fund.
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Source: ajot
