The Port of Gothenburg has announced that its pilot project to supply electricity to docked ships using a hydrogen generator is now in its final phase.
The method is expected to pave the way for reduced emissions in other ports where conventional shore power connections are not feasible.
Powering ships with electricity instead of using their conventional engines while docked can save large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. The first facilities for connecting ships to shore-side electricity, known as On-shore Power Supply (OPS), were installed at the Port of Gothenburg in the early 2000s. At that time, the OPS-facilities at Stena Line’s terminals for Germany and Denmark traffic were among the first of their kind in the world.
In such ports, alternative solutions are needed. Mobile hydrogen generators, like the one currently being tested at Stena Line’s Germany terminal, may offer a promising way forward, reported the port.
As part of a two-week pilot project, a hydrogen-powered generator has been connected to Stena Line’s existing shore power facility at the Port of Gothenburg. Using green hydrogen as fuel, the generator has supplied electricity to the vessel Stena Germanica and Stena Scandinavica while docked.
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The hydrogen generator being tested at the Port of Gothenburg was developed by Hitachi Energy, whose technology partner PowerCell Group supplies the generator’s power modules and expertise in fuel cell integration. During the test, the generator used 100 per cent green hydrogen supplied by gas producer Linde Gas.
“At Stena Line, we are eager to collaborate to test new technologies aimed at reducing emissions from our industry,” said Anders Peterson, Group Head of Port Development & Engineering at Stena Line.
“This project shows that there are alternative solutions for ports that lack the infrastructure for shore power.”
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In 2030, a new EU regulation will come into effect requiring container and passenger vessels to use OPS while at berth. According to a study by ICCT, this is expected to reduce emissions by just over 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. According to Viktor Allgurén, Head of Innovation at the Port of Gothenburg, hydrogen could help ports meet these requirements.
“Since the climate is a shared concern for us all, it is also in everyone’s interest that as many ports as possible around us succeed in meeting these demands.
“With our extensive experience in OPS, we are pleased to partner with Stena Line to serve as a testbed for this new technology, which may very well prove to be a viable solution for many ports.”
Last September, the Port of Gothenburg inaugurated its brand new 144,000-square-metre port terminal.
