By
Rebecca Gibson |
Germany’s Port of Kiel has started construction work for a new shore power plant at its Norwegenkai terminal, which will help to halve air pollution caused by visiting cruise ferries.
Set to open in spring 2019, the €1.3 million (US$1.5 million) shore power facility will enable cruise ferries to switch off their engines and instead use electrical power from the onshore grid when docked at the terminal. This will significantly reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter.
“We are taking action to make a substantial contribution to air purification,” said Bernd Buchholz, Minister of Economics, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. “The use of onshore power supply sustainably reduces ship emissions during time spent in port. We support this trend-setting project and beyond that advocate at government level to improve the overall economic conditions for the use of onshore power.”
The facility will be built by German automation company Siemens and will include a land-to-ship power transfer station manufactured by NG3, which will enable ships to switch from their auxiliary generators to shore power.
“The plant is tailored to the needs of the port and the shipping company,” said Lars Nürnberger, head of the Siemens branch office in Kiel. “As a result of its high power rating in combination with a daily operation, a high environmental benefit can be achieved. In future, emissions on site will equal zero.”
Color Line’s cruise ferries Color Fantasy and Color Magic, which berth at the Norwegenkai terminal on a daily basis, will be the first cruise ferries to use the shore power plant.
“Our ships are equipped to take onshore power and have been connected to onshore power supply in Oslo since 2011 and in all four of our Norwegian ports since 2017,” said Dirk Hundertmark, managing director of Color Line. “Now Kiel is becoming the next port to provide the necessary infrastructure to further advance and support our strategy of environmental protection.”
In future, the Port of Kiel plans to build shore power plants at its other terminals.
“Upon completion of the Norwegenkai onshore power plant, the Schwedenkai Terminal and the cruise ship terminal Ostseekai will also be equipped with onshore power supply facilities by 2020,” said Dirk Claus, managing director of the port. “It is our intention to provide half of all ship calls in Kiel with onshore power in future. Doing so means that we are setting a new European standard.”