Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) and the Valenciaport Foundation have announced it will build an electricity substation as part of its goal to achieve zero-emission operations by 2030.
In a statement, Valenciaport said the plan was part of a wider project to make the Port of Valencia and the nearby ports of Sagunto and Gandia carbon-free by using renewable energies, including wind and hydrogen.
Ships will be able to stop their engines and plug into the substation, therefore cutting the emission of gases and level of noise, utilizing a resource known as ‘shore power’.
The port will build two transformers of 30 megawatts to allow ships to connect to the electrical network and recharge their systems. Shore power has become an increasingly important tool for ports looking to lower emissions, with many seeing it as key to their long term sustainability targets.
“These actions involve a firm and decisive commitment to the implementation of renewable energies with investments in wind and photovoltaic energy or the construction of a new electricity substation”, said Federico Torres, director of the PAV’s Environment, Safety and Installations Area.
Speaking at a video conference to Spanish business leaders, Torres detailed further plans to install 3,000 solar panels in the Ports of Valencia and Gandia.
Additionally, he confirmed plans to install a wind power plant that includes between 5 and 7 wind turbines. These investments are in addition to the plans for supplying LNG to ships or the use of hydrogen in port installations and machinery within the framework of the H2Ports project.
