In 2005, the Kyoto Protocol came into force, through which its signatory countries committed to reducing their emissions by 5% compared to 1990 levels. With the entry into force of Annex VI of MARPOL, maritime transport has joined this reduction of emissions by using less polluting fuels, or implementing cleaner technologies.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 65 – June 2023
Part one published in CruisesNews magazine no. 64 – March 2023
One area for improvement was the use of electricity in port, which is vital for a docked vessel since its operation depends on electricity. Until relatively recently, the only way to have electricity in port was by using the ship's generators. This situation had a significant impact on noise and pollution levels in ports.
To reconcile the need for electricity to maintain ship operations with reducing emissions and noise, onshore power systems (OPS) have begun to be implemented. Environmental and noise pollution are very common problems in communities near busy ports, which has led various organizations, including the European Union, to consider improving the situation in the maritime and port sector.
Norway
is another country that has invested heavily in power supply infrastructure (PSI). The first PSI was inaugurated in 2011 in Oslo: it was a small, 4.5 MW, 11 kV facility. The second was inaugurated on June 17, 2015, a low-voltage installation in Bergen intended for oil platform support vessels, whose first user was the supply vessel Skandi Vega.
In September 2018, the Port Authority of Bergen announced its intention to invest 120 million Norwegian kroner in a Power Station, 50 million of which came from a grant from Enova, a state agency that provides financial support for environmental projects. This facility could supply electricity to three cruise ships simultaneously and was expected to be operational by the summer of 2020.
However, the pandemic delayed the plans, and this Bergen Power Station (OPS), the largest in Europe, was inaugurated two years late. On March 11, 2022, a Norwegian-flagged cruise ship, the Viking Venus, was the first to use the facility. The Port of Bergen offers five OPS installations, capable of powering three cruise ships simultaneously from the Norwegian electrical grid, plus two more from low voltage. Each installation, manufactured by the Norwegian company Zinus, has a capacity of 16 MW for ships operating at 11,000 volts, or 9.6 MW for those operating at 6,600 volts, and can operate at either 50 or 60 Hz. Viking had made Bergen one of its home ports and made it clear that all ships in its fleet calling at the port would use this facility.
The Port of Trondheim offers a small 2.5 MW, 50Hz, 660/690V shore power station (SPS) at its Pier 2 for exploration vessels up to 140 meters in length. By 2025, it plans to offer another SPS at the main cruise pier, capable of accommodating vessels of any size. Furthermore, the Port Authority will promote its use, giving priority to vessels with shore power connections at the main cruise pier. In the event of two vessels equipped with this system and having the same EPI or ESI rating, priority will be given to the second vessel based on its order of arrival.
Another Norwegian port with a similar facility is Kristiansand. This port in southern Norway had its first Offshore Power Station (OPS) in the fall of 2015, a 12 MW installation for offshore vessels. In 2018, in partnership with the Danish energy company PowerCon and the Norwegian company Agder Energi Nett, it built what was then the largest OPS in Europe, in a project co-financed by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 SME program. This OPS is suitable for servicing the largest cruise ships. It can supply 16 MW of electricity at either 50 or 60 Hz, depending on the vessel's needs, and is unique in that the system is mobile, integrated into eight 20-foot containers that can be moved between the port's various docks. The project cost €4 million.
In December 2022, it was announced that another Norwegian port, Narvik, had secured a €1 million grant from Enova to install a Power Supply Station (PSS) for cruise ships. Narvik recently built a new cruise ship pier and plans to equip it with this infrastructure. The Narvik PSS will be able to supply electricity to only one cruise ship at a time, using both medium voltage for larger vessels and low voltage for smaller cruise ships. It is scheduled for completion in 2024. The Port Authority indicated that there is a potential market for supplying more than 2 million kWh/year to cruise ships. According to their calculations, for every kWh delivered to a ship, CO2 emissions are reduced by approximately 0.8 kg.
Another Norwegian port with an OPS installation since 2022 is Ålesund Cruise Port. It has two 16/10 MW OPS units mounted on two trolleys with cable connections, which can be operated by just two ShoreLink technicians. This system solves two serious problems for the cruise ship pier: its dimensions (it is narrow) and the difference in height due to tidal changes. Furthermore, it is certified according to the IEC 80005 standard. This system will prevent the emission of more than 5,000 tons of CO2 per year.
United Kingdom
On May 13, 2021, the owner of the Port of Southampton, Associated British Port (ABP), announced its intention to install Operational Pressure Systems (OPS) at the Mayflower cruise terminal by the end of 2021. ABP stated that once operational, OPS would reduce CO2 emissions by 863 kg and NOx emissions by 10.5 kg per vessel calling at the terminal. This installation was carried out in partnership with Carnival UK, the port's main customer, several of whose ships already had OPS technology on board, and Carnival had plans to extend it to its entire fleet. The Horizon terminal, which was under construction at the time, already had OPS infrastructure built in place when it was designed in 2019. This installation was partially funded by the UK government's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
On July 3, 2021, Associated British Ports (ABP) inaugurated the Horizon Cruise Terminal with a call by the MSC Virtuosa. Both the ship and the terminal itself were equipped with Operational Power Systems (OPS), allowing the diesel generators to shut down while docked. In addition, the terminal has over 2,000 solar panels mounted on its roof, which provide a significant portion of its daily energy consumption. This terminal was built by Associated British Ports with a budget of £55 million to meet the needs of two of its clients: MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. NCL's new flagship, the Norwegian Prima, which also features OPS technology, used the terminal after its delivery by Fincantieri last summer. That same summer, the OPS system at the Mayflower Cruise Terminal, located relatively close to the Horizon Cruise Terminal, also came online. Both systems were installed by the Danish company PowerCon.
In 2022, a total of fifteen ships used the Operations Platforms (OPS) at the Horizon and Mayflower terminals during 42 port calls in the Solent, out of a total of 489 calls. Approximately 10% of the calls used the OPS, a remarkable number for the first year of operation. These included the AidaCosma, Queen Mary 2, AIDAprima, Celebrity Beyond, AidaSol, and Sky Princess.
In October 2021, Portsmouth, another English homeport owned by its City Council, announced it had approved a strategy to equip its docks with Operational Power Systems (OPS), integrating itself into the UK government's Maritime 2050 project. To achieve this ambition, Portsmouth aimed to become a living laboratory, hosting innovative projects that would help it become one of the UK's first zero-emission ports. In the short term, it planned to use batteries to store electricity and provide shore power to smaller cruise ships. With an existing AI-controlled battery installation, funded by the Innovate UK program, along with the installation of a new solar-powered battery system, the port will have enough energy to supply smaller cruise ships. One of the port's long-standing customers, Noble Caledonia, committed to retrofitting its vessels to draw power from shore. The same is true for Brittany Ferries. In the longer term, the port was exploring options to increase the amount of energy available at the port, so that onshore power could be extended to all the docks in Portsmouth.
This ambition materialized on February 4, 2023, with the Portsmouth International Port announcing its acceptance of Scottish & Southern Energy Network's (SSEN) offer to install OPS. This brings the Portsmouth International Port one step closer to its goal of becoming the UK's leading port for electricity hookups, and thus also the most sustainable British port. Furthermore, this additional power opens up the opportunity to secure new customers for the port, but more importantly, it means being able to reach long-term agreements with major clients, who now know they will have the necessary infrastructure. In less than two years, the port will be able to accommodate several ships with onboard OPS installations, thus reducing emissions from operating engines and helping it meet its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral port by 2030. Initially, SSEN will provide 15MW, which will become operational in 2025. Portsmouth International Port expects to provide electricity to more than one hundred cruise ship calls in 2026.
Kiel
invested €15 million in the Ostseekai Power Station (OPS), which, in addition to supplying electricity to cruise ships, could also provide it to Stena Line ferries using the Schwedenkai terminal at a nearby pier. That same year, pier 28 at Ostseekai and its terminal also became operational.
The Ostseekai Open Water Storage Facility (OPS) was inaugurated in June 2021 at a ceremony attended by Carnival Corp executives, including Felix Eichhorn, Chairman of AIDA, and Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group, as well as local authorities and representatives from the Kiel Port Authority. This OPS was built thanks to an agreement signed in April 2018 between Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, KielPort, and the Costa Group. The Schleswig-Holstein regional government contributed €13.5 million to construct the facility and successfully lobbied the federal government for a reduction in the EEG (Energy Efficiency) allocation for energy. With this infrastructure, the first of its kind for cruise ships, Kiel could offer three OPS berths. Among the figures presented, it was mentioned that each cruise ship using the Ostseekai OPS during its port calls in Kiel would avoid emitting an average of 45 tons of CO2.
This facility was inaugurated by the AidaSol on June 16 of that year, a vessel that had already been used for its certification in May. The Stena Line ferries alone, which use this power plant daily, will reduce their CO2 emissions by approximately 5,000 tons annually. In Norwegenkai, the dock used by Color Line for ferries connecting Kiel and Oslo had already recorded a reduction of 3,000 tons of CO2 since the power plant came online in May 2019. This Siemens-branded power plant in Ostseekai has a capacity of 16 MW and can supply energy to two vessels simultaneously. In 2021, Kiel supplied clean energy to more than 30 cruise ships, including the AidaSol and AidaPrima on all their ports of call, as well as the Stena and Color Line ferries.
A year later, in 2022, to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, Kiel installed another OPS (Occupancy Protection System) at Pier 1 in Ostuferhafen, with a budget of €14 million. The Port Authority Chairman stated that his objective was for 80-85% of cruise ship calls to use shore power by 2025, and announced that two new OPSs would be commissioned by the end of 2023. In 2022, all calls by the AidaPrima, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 6, Artania, and Nieuw Statendam in Kiel utilized the OPS system and produced zero emissions.
In 2023, it is expected that between 60 and 100 cruise ship calls will utilize Kiel's Open Stations (OPS). The new OPS at Ostuferhafen will be delivered by the end of the year, making Kiel one of the first ports in the world to offer OPS at all its ferry and cruise terminals from 2024. Alongside this €17 million investment, the Port Authority will invest another €2 million in photovoltaic solar panels, which will cover 30% of the port's electricity consumption once fully installed.
On May 10, 2021, Germany's largest Operational Power Station (OPS) was inaugurated in Warnemünde-Rostock. This infrastructure was made possible through a public-private partnership between AIDA Cruises, the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania region, the Rostock City Council, and the Port Authority, who signed an agreement in September 2018. The AidaSol was the first ship to use the station that same day. The president of AIDA stated that this event sent an important signal, not only in Germany but throughout Europe. Completed in the summer of 2020, the OPS was the largest in Europe at the time, with a maximum capacity of 20 MW. It features a modular design, with all components housed in 20-foot containers, and can supply electricity at both 50 and 60 Hz. It can service two cruise ships simultaneously at berths P7 and P8 in Warnemünde. While connected, the AidaSol needs about 4.5 megawatt-hours of electricity.
While Germany is a pioneer in Power Supply Systems (PSS) installations in Europe, Hamburg was the leading port. In 2016, the Port Authority and Stemmann launched a pilot project at the Altona cruise terminal. It was inaugurated at the beginning of the 2017 cruise season and remained in testing that year, although it was used 12 times by the AidaSol, which shut down its generators on 9 occasions. Its first regular use was on April 23, 2018, with a call by the AidaSol on the first anniversary of its inauguration. That year, the AidaSol used the PSS 22 times. Its capacity is 12 MW and it can supply electricity at 50 and 60 Hz.
By 2025, all of Hamburg's cruise terminals must be able to offer Operations and Services (OPS). The new Cruise Center HafenCity terminal, equipped with this infrastructure from the outset, will be delivered that same year. On November 16, 2021, the European Commission approved a grant of €20 million to finance the OPS at HafenCity. According to the current plan, Hamburg's other terminal, Cruise Center Steinwerder, will also have OPS available in the second half of this year. The total construction budget for this infrastructure will be €15.8 million, 50% of which is financed by the German federal government.
Denmark and the Baltic:
In October 2021, the Port of Copenhagen Malmö inaugurated its first Operational Stopover (OPS) at the DFDS ferry terminal in Copenhagen. This infrastructure resulted from an agreement between the Port Authority and the shipping company DFDS. With this new facility, DFDS ferries operating between Copenhagen and Oslo can stop their engines in both ports, reducing pollution in both cities. This OPS will result in an annual reduction of approximately 912 tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to a 1.6% reduction in NOx emissions compared to Copenhagen's urban traffic.
In 2024, the Port of Copenhagen-Malmö will commission one of Europe's most ambitious power supply operations. It will be a 32 MW facility with three power outlets: two at Ocean Quay and one at Langelinie. In a second phase, an additional outlet will be added at each of the two docks. Furthermore, since 2022, it has offered a 100% electric shuttle bus connecting the three Ocean Quay terminals and the metro.
On March 20, 2022, the Port of Aarhus announced that it had contracted two companies to install the new Operational Safety System (OPS) at its cruise terminal: Shore Link, from Estonia, and the local company PowerCon, the latter being the turnkey provider of the system. This system is expected to be operational for the 2023 season.
On April 5, 2022, nineteen cruise operators committed to using land-based electricity in Baltic ports as soon as possible and no later than January 1, 2024. Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ponant, Royal Caribbean Group, and Viking Cruises (19 operators in total) were the first to sign a memorandum of understanding for the use of land-based electricity during port calls in the Baltic countries. The signing took place at the Sustainable Cruises Conference in Copenhagen, which was attended by representatives from most Baltic ports. Cruise Baltic Director Claus Bødker stated at the time, “Our visions are ambitious and can only be achieved if we work together. With the strong commitment to land-based energy supply demonstrated by the shipowners in signing the memorandum of understanding, I sincerely believe that our visions of an even greener world for the cruise industry can become a reality.”.
Finally, on January 19, 2023, it was announced that nine Baltic ports had joined forces to request European Union guarantees to develop Port Service Provider (PSP) projects at their docks. The ports involved were Stockholm, Aarhus, Klaipeda, Helsinki, Tallinn, Gdynia, Hamburg, Ventspils, and Riga. The Stockholm Port Authority would act as project coordinator and manage communication between the ports and the European Union. The consortium planned to begin the project in July 2023.
Bermello Ajamil's study for Cruise Baltic on OPS projects in forty ports across ten Baltic countries concluded that only three ports had operational OPS (Kristiansand, Kiel, and Rostock). However, when asked about future plans for cruise ship OPS, 13 ports revealed their commitment to building such infrastructure, 14 had not yet decided, and 13 had either not discussed it or had decided not to invest.
Sweden:
The first operational power station (OPS) installed in the world was in Gothenburg. In 2000, the main port in southern Sweden was equipped with a system capable of providing between 1.25 and 2.5 MW at two frequencies (50 Hz) and two voltages, 6.6 and 11 kV. It was intended for roll-on/roll-off cargo ships.
The Port of Stockholm has always aimed to become an environmentally sustainable destination. Among its future plans in the past decade was the possibility of building an OPS (Operating Power Station) for cruise ships. This would be the first such facility in Sweden. However, the Port of Stockholm already has extensive experience with OPS for ferries. Viking Line and Tallink Silja vessels connect to several OPSs, which offer both low and medium voltage. In the Port of Nynäshamn, Polferries and Destination Gotland also shut down their engines and use OPSs. There is a project underway in the Port of Kapellskär to provide an OPS for Finnline vessels.
In October 2021, the Port Authority obtained the necessary building permits to begin work. Both shore power connections will be located within illuminated buildings. Stockholm Port Authority CEO Thomas Andersson said, “The new lighting and architectural design will create a more pleasant atmosphere here at both locations.” The initiative is a collaboration with other Baltic ports to collectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Environmental projects related to cruise ships in Stockholm are a high priority for the Port Authority.
In Norway, Bergen, Kristiansand and Alesund have been offering electrical outlets to cruise ships since 2022; seven other ports with cruise ship calls plan to install them in the next three years, and all these facilities will offer 100% renewable electricity.
On August 30, 2022, it was announced that the Stockholm Port Authority had begun construction of two 11,000-volt/60 Hz shore power outlets (SPOs) for cruise ships at two city center piers, berths 167 and 160 in Stadsgården. The project is planned to be carried out in phases, with the first two expected to be completed by the 2023 cruise season, and the second by 2024. These cruise piers are the busiest in Stockholm. It is estimated that at least 45% of cruise ship calls will be able to connect to shore power once the installations are operational. The total reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is projected to be at least 6,000 tons per year. On January 17, 2023, it was announced that the Port Authority, along with other Baltic ports and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, had applied for a grant for this infrastructure from the European Union.
Finland.
Like Stockholm, the Port of Helsinki has a long tradition of operating power plants (OPS) for its regular passenger traffic. For example, in 2012, it built a dedicated 4 MW OPS for Viking Line's Mariella and Gabriella ferries on the South Quay, located right in the city center. That first OPS cost one million euros. The Olympia Terminal, also located in the South Quay, from which Silja and Tallink vessels operate to Sweden, was equipped with an OPS in 2018–2019, and this infrastructure was expanded in August 2021. West Terminal 2, used by Eckero Line and Tallink, has also had an OPS since December 2022. This terminal handles all traffic to Tallinn, with very short stopovers during the day, but the ferries remain docked overnight, so the OPS reduces noise and pollution. Hansa Terminal Vuosaari Eckero and Finnlines.
Once the power outlet needs of its most frequent customers are met, Helsinki's next step is to provide this infrastructure to cruise ships.
Cold ironing in the Mediterranean:
The Port Authority of Marseille is also investing in electrical power outlets for ships docking in its port, with the aim of becoming the first 100% electric port in the Mediterranean by 2026. The first outlets were for ferries from Corsica. Two ferry operators, La Meridionale and Corsica Line, along with the Port Authority of Marseille-Fos, invested in cold ironing. La Meridionale began connecting its vessels in 2017, while Corsica Line did so in 2019. Both shipping companies retrofitted three vessels each to connect to the outlets. Each of these terminals was equipped with two Cavotec cold ironing connections, each capable of delivering 2 MW at low voltage; all four outlets can operate simultaneously. Each shipping company invested 5 million euros and the Port Authority around 1 million euros in transformer substations, cables, etc. The Port Authority of Marseille-Fos plans to continue its policy of implementing OPS (Operating Power Stations): in 2022, two more 2 MW units were installed at the Cap Janet International Maghreb Terminal; in 2025, four 10 MW units were installed at the Cruise Terminal; and two 10 MW units were installed at the CNM repair shipyard in 2026.
In the eastern Mediterranean, the only noteworthy electrical power outlet is that of the Port of Killini, inaugurated in December 2018. It was co-financed by the European Union with the ELEMED program and by the shipping company Levante Ferries, whose ferry Fior di Levante uses it when docked.
Italy
: The first large-scale shore power supply (OPS) in the Mediterranean was built in Genoa. In 2011, IGM Engineering completed the project for the shore power supply for the ship repair area of the Port of Genoa. This facility became operational in 2018. In general, shore power supply for docked ships is quite complex. This complexity increases even further in European ports, as most ships generate power at 60 Hz, while in Europe, electrical power is generally supplied at 50 Hz. Therefore, it is necessary to equip the OPS with 50/60 Hz frequency converters. Furthermore, it was necessary to design the OPS according to the different electrical loads of the ships, as follows:
• Cruise ships: 10 MW at 11 kV, 60 Hz.
• Cargo ships and ferries: 4-5 MW at 6.6 kV, 50 or 60 Hz. 2 MW at 690 V, 50 or 60 Hz.
To address this situation, a dual medium-voltage distribution network was implemented, one operating at 50 Hz and the other at 60 Hz, capable of providing high electrical efficiency while also ensuring maximum flexibility. The system is powered by Enel's primary electrical grid. In August 2020, it was announced that the first tranche of the €794 million that the Italian government was allocating to modernize its ports included the implementation of cold ironing at the Genoa cruise and ferry terminals, with six outlets (valued at €19.2 million), and at the Savona cruise terminal, with one outlet (valued at €10.2 million), following a request from the Ligurian government in 2018. The project was awarded in 2022 to Nidec, and its scope included two 6 MVA static frequency converters, capable of handling loads of up to 12 MW, as well as the necessary electrical panels and transformers. Both facilities should be operational by 2025.
But the pioneering system in Italy and Europe was the one in Livorno, which in 2015 installed a 12 MW dual-voltage (operating at 6.6 and 11 kV) and dual-frequency (50/60 Hz) OPS (Operating Power Station). The OPS cost €3.5 million and was co-financed by the Italian Ministry of the Environment (60%) and the Tuscan government (20%). It was intended for cargo ships. Furthermore, two more OPS installations are planned for Livorno: one for mixed cruise and ro-ro traffic, and another for container ships, with a total budget of €45.5 million.
The Barcelona Docks Electrification Plan:
European Directive 94/2014 on alternative fuel infrastructure includes the recommendation that by 2025, major European ports must have electrical connection infrastructure at their docks to allow ships to shut down their engines while berthed. The National Action Framework for the deployment of the directive addresses this need and recommends taking action against the main obstacles to its implementation, such as electricity tolls and the tariff for electrical power supplied to ships.
In January 2020, the Port of Barcelona's board of directors approved the drafting of the Dock Electrification Plan, with the goal of electrifying all docks within seven years. This plan detailed the actions to be taken to electrify, among others, the docks used for cruise ship traffic.
Previously, the Port of Barcelona had requested a high-voltage (220 kV) connection from the Spanish Electricity Network (REE) to provide approximately 80 GW of power to serve docked ships, separate from the existing electricity distribution network. Half of this power would be available at the Moll Adossat dock for cruise ships.
In March 2021, Red Eléctrica confirmed the construction of the Ronda Litoral Substation with a connection for the Port of Barcelona, as a preliminary step to implement the Dock Electrification Plan. This project, driven by the autonomous port authority, will reduce CO2 emissions by 50%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 51%, and particulate matter emissions by 25% by 2030, all caused by port operations, and will help achieve the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral port before 2050. As a result, all cruise ships will be able to connect to the newly created electrical grid once docked, using clean energy with 100% renewable origin certification.
The maximum estimated consumption of all connected ships is over 100 GWh per year, approximately 40% of the Port's current total electricity consumption.
At the Port Authority's last board meeting in February, the tender for the construction of its own substation to power the Port of Barcelona's Operations and Services (OPS) was approved. This tender now requires approval from the Spanish government. The Port of Barcelona ultimately opted for a single contract that includes the drafting of the project, the management and execution of the works, and the maintenance and operation of the substation for two years after its handover. With a budget of €14 million, the installation is expected to be completed in 2025. This tender comes after Red Eléctrica (the Spanish electricity grid operator) authorized the connection of the Port of Barcelona to the future Ronda Litoral substation, which will be located very close to the Príncep d'Espanya Wharf. The port will be one of the main consumers, with a peak demand of 80 MW. Connecting the port's substation to this infrastructure via an underground high-voltage line will require an additional investment of €1.6 million.
Once both infrastructures are connected, it will be possible to develop a medium-voltage network within the port area to meet electricity consumption needs. The projected consumption of cruise ships at the Moll Adossat is 30,000 MWh/year, which would be supplied via a submarine cable from the Ronda Litoral ring road. The tender for the dedicated substation complements the first two phases already approved: the Best terminal and the ferry terminal. Connections at the Best terminal will begin to be installed next April and are expected to be operational by next winter. The pilot project for the ferry terminal is about to be awarded and is also expected to be operational in 2024.
Furthermore, the port aims to promote renewable energy generation within the port area, either at facilities belonging to the Port Authority of Barcelona itself or at terminal or operator facilities. The renewable energy generation potential (primarily photovoltaic) of the port area is estimated to exceed 100 MWp peak power, with an annual production of approximately 120 GWh of electricity, a figure that could meet the electricity demands of ships calling at Barcelona.
Other OPS initiatives for cruise ships in Spain
In Spain there are other dock electrification projects: Palma de Mallorca has a project to offer OPS to ferries docking at the Paraires dock or at the commercial docks before 2025.
At the end of 2022, the Port Authority of Cádiz, in partnership with Endesa X, launched the construction and operation of a power supply station (PSS) for cruise ships at the Alfonso XIII dock. The project, with an investment of €6.8 million and a capacity of 16 MW, will allow the port to supply electricity to the largest cruise ships calling at Cádiz. This Endesa X project has been selected to receive a €2.7 million grant from the Sustainable and Digital Transport Support Program, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union (NextGeneration funds).
If the deadlines are met, in 2024 Endesa will become the first company nationwide to offer electricity supply to cruise ships; and the port of Cadiz will be the first in Spain where cruise ships can connect to the electricity grid.
The Port Authority of Valencia has awarded the contract for the construction of the new electrical substation, an investment of over €7.8 million. The port of Valencia will thus have two electrical substations, allowing ships docking at its piers to connect to the grid and shut down their engines.
In March 2022, the Port Authority of Bilbao presented the BilbOPS project, which aims to supply electricity to ships via eleven OPSs (Operating Points). The Port Authority indicated that it will be necessary to reinforce the power lines so that the facilities can offer 30 MW. In addition, three distribution centers, eleven transformer substations, and eleven OPS connection points will be installed. To create a flexible infrastructure, 20 outlets will be available to provide service regardless of the ship's berth. The areas affected by this new infrastructure are the ferry terminal, with two OPSs, the roll-on/roll-off terminal at dock A6, the new dock A5, docks A1 and A2 for containers, and the cruise ship docks.
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