By
Alex Smith |
The Bilbao Port Authority has put out to tender the works for the second phase of its onshore power supply (OPS) project for €55.4 million ($58.2 million).
The works at the Spanish port will be undertaken on Docks A1, A2, A6, AZ3 and Getxo 2 and 3. These docks include Bilbao’s ferry terminal and three cruise ship berths, as well as the terminal for ro-ro traffic and the container terminal.
Power lines will be upgraded to provide 30 megawatts of power to the facilities, with three distribution centres, 11 transformation centres and 11 OPS connection points to be set up on the docks. Twenty power sockets will also be provided to serve the quayside regardless of where the ships are berthed. To increase the power supply to the cruise ship docks, a 1.34 kilometre subsea cable will be run from the town of Santurzi.
The entire OPS network will be powered by renewable energy, produced from sources such as photovoltaic solar panels distributed over four arrays across the port.
A subsea cable will be run from Santurzi to provide power to Bilbao’s cruise berths
The electrification project, referred to as BilboOPS, is financed by the Bilbao Port Authority and has been awarded a €14.2 million ($14.9 million) grant by the European Commission under the CEF Transport 2021-2027 funding programme. The first phase of the electrification of the docks was awarded in December 2023 and focused on Dock A5 of the central breakwater for the expansion area.
The second phase of works are scheduled to take 24 months to complete and the deadline for submitting proposals is 31 January. The new facility is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2026.