The Port of Hamburg has announced that the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) ships will be supplied with shore power in the future.
The shipping company has signed a corresponding agreement with the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) regarding the supply of MSC cargo ships at the Hamburg Container Terminal (CTH).
This makes MSC the first shipping company to use shore power for both cruise ships and container ships. Other shipping companies are expected to follow suit shortly, and additional container terminals in the Port of Hamburg are currently being equipped with shore power systems.
The plant at the CTH, which was completed this year, has three connection points, each with an output of 7.5 megavolt amperes. The electricity used comes 100 per cent from renewable sources.
The plant was financed in roughly equal parts by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg with support from the federal government. The total cost of the plant is around €14 million ($15 million).
In the cruise segment, HPA already has agreements on the use of shore power with the Carnival Group and the shipping companies TUI Cruises, Fred Olsen, Princess Cruises, Phoenix Reisen and Norwegian Cruise Line.
A new shore power system for cruise ships went into operation at the Cruise Center Steinwerder in April 2024. The new cruise terminal in HafenCity is currently under construction and is to be equipped with a shore power system from the outset; the terminal is expected to be completed in 2025.
Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs Dr. Melanie Leonhard said: “The expansion of shore power supply is an important project in the port for fewer emissions and more climate protection.
“We are now jointly advancing this technology: Hamburg is setting up the technology on land. But it also needs ships that use electricity from renewable energies and shipping companies that create the appropriate conditions. We are in good discussions with the customers of the Port of Hamburg on this.
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Nils Kahn, Managing Director of MSC Germany further stated: “Hamburg and its port are important to us. That is why we are happy to take advantage of the Hamburg Port Authority’s offer to use shore power for our ships during layovers.
“As MSC, we are pleased to contribute to improving air quality in the Hanseatic city. As an international transport company, we see it as our responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions through innovative measures. This is another step on our way to net zero and a more sustainable future.”
Earlier this year, Ben Buchele Elektromotorenwerke GmbH delivered two electric motors to Reintjes for installation on a hybrid dredger at the Port of Hamburg.
