More shore power connections in the EU suggest that the bloc is well ahead of its regional peers, and it’s both thanks to demand- and supply-side regulatory support, reports Engine.
Ships need electricity to run onboard operations and equipment while docked in port. Onshore power supply, or plug-in power, allows ships to power these operations without using fuel, thereby reducing their overall fuel consumption and lowering well-to-wake emissions in the near term.
While shore power usage is gradually gaining popularity across major global ports, the EU stands out by offering regulatory support to enhance both demand and supply.
The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) addresses the supply side by mandating major coastal and inland ports on the Trans-European Networks (TEN-T) to provide shore power for container and passenger ships by 2029. On the demand side, the upcoming FuelEU Maritime regulation will require all ships above 5,000 gross tonnages (GT) to connect to shore power in TEN-T ports from 2030.
European ports move towards shore power
Recent headlines indicate that these regulatory obligations are driving more and more European ports and shipowners towards shore power.
Norwegian electrification firm PSW Power & Automation (PSW) will install a shore power unit in Norway’s Ålesund cruise port. The project is scheduled for completion in 2025. This will be the second shore power unit that PSW will supply to the port authority, the company said.
In Malta, a cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises was connected to shore power in the Port of Valletta. This operation marked the inauguration of the port’s shore power facility, which it claims is “the first to be operational in the Mediterranean Sea.” MSC Cruises aims to make 16 of its 22 vessels capable of receiving shoreside electricity in ports by the end of this year.
The Port of Barcelona has put a first shore power connection into operation at one of its container terminals. The 8-megawatt (MW) shore power system will allow two shore-power-capable vessels to connect simultaneously, according to the Barcelona port authority.
In other news this week, Hamburg-based energy firm Mabanaft plans to build an ammonia import terminal at its existing tank storage terminal in Blumensand in the German Port of Hamburg. The import terminal is set to open in 2027 and will supply ammonia for shipping and other purposes, said Philipp Kroepels, director at Mabanaft. The firm has not specified an ammonia storage capacity or whether the stored ammonia will be green, blue or grey – which has major implications for its sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction potential.
Japan-based JERA supplied an undisclosed amount of ammonia to an ammonia-powered tugboat owned by NYK Line at Yokohama Port’s Honmoku Pier. The ammonia used for bunkering was produced at Resonac Corporation’s Kawasaki Plant. JERA did not specify whether the ammonia supplied was green or grey but mentioned that it was partially derived from plastic waste.
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Source: Engine
