The Antwerp Port Authority in collaboration with the Flemish government, other ports and waterway operators is developing a unified system for onshore power in all Flemish ports.
An onshore power platform has been set up and a pilot project is now being carried out in the Port of Antwerp as part of what the port authority sees as an “integrated approach to combating air pollution on a local scale”.
In conjunction with the barge industry, seven new onshore power connection bollards have been installed at quay 75 beside the Noordkasteel Dock, with a clear and simple system for registration and payment. From now on consumption will be charged monthly on the port dues invoice. In the other holding docks the system of magnetic swipe cards will continue to be used.
The port authority has drafted an online folder with clear explanations of the registration process and operation. Users only have to register once and are given a personal page on which they can monitor their consumption.
In a statement, the Antwerp Port Authority said that making onshore power available to barges forms part of its “Particulates” action plan aimed at making significant reductions in emissions, of not only particulates but also other harmful pollutants such as NOx. The system enables barge operators to draw power while they are moored in dock, without having to run their diesel engines in order to generate electricity.
