Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure allocates 140 million euro to help realise shore power plants in sea ports
The Ministry of Infrastructure is allocating 140 million euro over the next few years to help realise shore power plants in sea ports. A further 40 million euro will be added from the climate fund. By allowing moored vessels to ‘plug in’, polluting diesel generators on the ships do not have to run while noise pollution is also reduced, according to the Port of Rotterdam's release.
With the forthcoming Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), European ports will be required to supply so-called AFIR vessels with shore power from 2030. These include container ships, cruise ships, passenger ships, and combined passenger and cargo ships from 5,000 GT (gross tonnage, indicating the size of a vessel). These are all large vessels, which also consume a lot of energy at the quay.
The funds for shore power are mainly intended for terminals where AFIR vessels moor, but other shore power projects for maritime shipping will also become eligible for subsidies.
BOZ previously calculated that some 270 megawatts of shore power capacity will need to be installed in ports for AFIR vessels in the coming years to meet the upcoming obligation, requiring an investment of more than 300 million euro. The sector organisation assumes this will lead to an annual reduction of over 220 kilotonnes of CO2 (equivalent to about 75,000 households being disconnected from the gas grid), and a reduction of 2.5 kilotonnes of NOx. When shore power is also offered to vessels that will not be covered by the obligation, the potential and environmental benefits become much higher still.
Realising shore power facilities will not only bring environmental benefits and reduce noise pollution, but it may also create nitrogen space for climate projects in the port.
The 5 major sea ports of national importance are working with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the terminals on the shore power task in the respective ports. These are the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Groningen, Moerdijk and North Sea Port (Vlissingen, Terneuzen and Ghent).
