The Port of Barcelona and the main cruise industry operators, including shipping lines and terminals, have agreed to create a working group to expedite the connection of ships to the main electricity grid once they are docked, using clean energy with 100% renewable origin certification. This group will work to align onshore infrastructure with fleet availability.
The creation of this working group is part of a collaboration agreement signed by the Port of Barcelona, Creuers del Port de Barcelona, Carnival Corp & PLC*, Royal Caribbean Group, MSC Cruises, NCL Holding LTD, Viking Cruises, and Virgin Voyages. The agreement aims to actively collaborate on the electrical supply project for the port's docks. This is "an important step that confirms the cruise community's commitment to the city of Barcelona and to society as a whole," as highlighted today by Damià Calvet, President of the Port of Barcelona, during the presentation of the agreement at the Seatrade Cruise Med 2022 trade fair.
At the presentation of the agreement, Damià Calvet was accompanied by Javier Rodríguez, General Manager of Creuers del Port de Barcelona; Michel Nestour, Vice President of Global Port and Destination Development EuroMed of Carnival Corp & PLC; Ukko Metsola, Vice President Government Relations for Europe and Asia-Pacific of Royal Caribbean Group; Gianluca Suprani, SVP Global Port Development & Shore Activities of the Cruise Division of MSC Group; Nicolai Skogland, Executive Director – Port Operations and Government Relations at Viking Cruises; Juan Trescastro, Senior Director of Virgin Voyages; Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association); Marie-Caroline Laurent, general director of CLIA Europe, and Alfredo Serrano, national director of CLIA Spain.
Representatives of the entities that signed the agreement agreed on the cruise sector's role in decarbonizing maritime transport and emphasized that connecting ships to the renewable electricity grid at the Port of Barcelona will significantly reduce emissions. This collaboration between the public and private sectors will enable compliance with European requirements for shore power connections for ships by 2030.
Marie-Caroline Laurent, representing the sector, stated that “this agreement between the Port of Barcelona and the shipping companies is an important example of how collaboration is accelerating in order to achieve the ambitious climate goals we have set for ourselves. Equipping our ships with systems that allow connection to the shore power grid is a case of responsible tourism that benefits the local communities we visit.”.
According to calculations by the Port of Barcelona, the electrification of all cruise ship berths, the Prat Wharf, and the ferry terminals in the Sant Bertran Basin and the Costa Wharf will eliminate 66,000 tons of CO2 and 1,234 tons of NOx emissions from port activity. In other words, it will reduce NOx and CO2 emissions from ships while docked by 38% and eliminate 22% of total NOx and CO2 emissions from all port activity.
Nexigen, the name given to the Port of Barcelona's dock electrification project, requires an investment of 110 million euros and is a key element in achieving the goal of becoming a climate-neutral port by 2050. The first cruise ships will connect to the port's electrical grid in 2026.
