By
Alex Smith |
The Port of Barcelona has put out to tender the construction of an electrical substation as part of the Nexigen Project, which will allow the port to provide power to its quays.
The works will have a budget of €14 million ($15.3 million) and will include the design of the substation, the management and execution of its construction, and the maintenance and operation of the substation for two years after construction.
The tender also includes the connection of the substation to the Cerdà substation currently being constructed by Spanish national grid operator Red Eléctrica through an underground high voltage line. The format of the tender is intended to allow a single company to manage the entire project to speed up the process. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025.
The construction of the new substation will be carried out in parallel with other works in the Nexigen Project for the electrification of the port’s quays. A medium-voltage network will be built to connect equipment to the different terminals at the port, including all cruise berths and the ferry terminals at the Sant Bertran dock and Costa dock.
In total, the Nexigen project represents an investment of €130 million ($142 million) by the Port of Barcelona. Once completed, ships will be able to connect to onshore power that has been generated using renewable sources while docked in Barcelona. The port estimates that this will eliminate 66,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 1,234 tonnes of nitrogen oxide emissions from annual port activity. The project forms part of Barcelona’s overall strategy to become a climate neutral port by 2050.