During a ceremony held on January 8 at the Port of Dunkirk, the APL Singapura, CMA CGM container ship, inaugurated the cold ironing facilities at the Port’s Terminal des Flandres.
Cold ironing, a technology that provides an effective way of protecting the environment, a CMA CGM statement read.
By plugging into an onshore electricity supply, also known as cold ironing, container ships calling at port can shut down their auxiliary engines while still getting the power they need, particularly in order to maintain controlled temperatures in refrigerated containers.
This results in zero emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides and fine particles while ships are at berth as well as significantly reduced noise pollution.
The cold ironing system installed at the Terminal des Flandres will become fully operational during the first half of 2020. By undertaking this ambitious operation, the Port of Dunkirk and CMA CGM is confirming its determination to protect the environment, a statement read.
Actemium, a consortium of two companies (Brest and Boulogne) was selected to carry out the works. These included the design and supply of a cold ironing system that fits into six 40-foot containers, converting the public electricity supply for use by ships at port.
With capacity of 8 MW – enough to power nearly 1,000 homes – this system is one of the most powerful ever to be installed in Europe.
The operation was co-financed by the Urban Community of Dunkirk, the Hauts-de-France region (via the European Regional Development Fund), and the Port of Dunkirk.
The CMA CGM Group covered the cost of the equipment needed to connect the vessel, in line with its efforts to support energy transition in the shipping industry.
