The Ports of Aarhus, Gothenburg, Bremerhaven, and Stockholm are set to provide onshore power supply (OPS) to containerships calling at the ports by 2030.
This is supported by €18.8 million ($20 million) from the EU fund “Connecting Europe Facility” for the project “EU.OPS.Network”.
The project has a large reduction potential not only of CO2 but also other substances such as nitrogen oxides emitted from containerships moored at the ports, reported the Port of Gothenburg.
The project is a direct response to new EU regulations that will come into effect in 2030, requiring ships over 5,000 gross tonnage to connect to onshore power while moored.
Through OPS, containerships will be able to use electricity from the grid instead of generating their own power onboard using diesel engines. The ports in question will use the funds in slightly different ways, but all aim to reduce the environmental and climate impact of moored vessels through OPS.
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The Port of Gothenburg is one of the key players in the project and has the ambitious goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 70 per cent in the port area by 2030 whereby OPS plays an important part in reaching this. The port has already OPS in place at its ro-ro and ro-pax terminals, as well as in its energy terminal for tankers.
By connecting containerships to onshore power, the Port of Gothenburg has the possibility to reduce emissions by at least 5,600 tonnes of CO2 annually.
“Through this project, the Port of Gothenburg will be able to build a high-voltage substation at the container terminal, which is a crucial part of the infrastructure needed to offer OPS to containerships,” said Julia Christensson, Grants Manager at the Port of Gothenburg.
“It is an investment of about €20 million ($21.3 million), with nearly half of the funding coming from the project.”
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“We are very pleased that the European Commission and the CEF Committee recognise our high ambitions for the green transition,” said Anne Zachariassen, COO of the Port of Aarhus and Project Coordinator.
“As some of Northern Europe’s most important ports, it’s fantastic that we can collaborate to reduce the shipping industry’s climate footprint, which is a global challenge we face together. OPS for container ships is a crucial part for all the ports involved.”
Last month, the Port of Gothenburg announced the launch of a hydrogen refuelling station for heavy traffic.
