Port of Ystad hosted Seminar on Onshore Power Supply

Connecting ships with onshore energy is a natural way to limit the emissions from burning traditional fuel when ships are berthing at ports. Thus, the impact of shipping on environment at local and even regional level is much lower.

There are about 10 Onshore Power Supply (OPS) installations in the Baltic ports (7 of them in Sweden) and around 20 in entire Europe. Quite many other ports are analyzing such an option or planning the OPS installations. Port managers, technology providers, representatives of maritime administration and port organizations met in Port of Ystad, Sweden (15-17 April) and dealt with the subject during Onshore Power Supply seminar organized by Baltic Ports Organization.

The first day of the seminar was dedicated to the policy issues and as well as to main driving forces for OPS development in ports and obstacles. Case studies were presented from various ports including Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsinki, Ystad, Gdynia and Hamburg. During the discussion, port’s representatives concluded that in order to have feasible OPS installations there must be a public financial support as OPS investment has a very long pay-back time. Moreover, EU policy is rather aiming at port’s level, while, there should be an adequate policy incentives at EU level addressed to ship-owners as well. 

Connecting ships to the onshore grid is a technology challenge as ships usually demand a lot of power and use different energy solutions. The second day of the seminar was dedicated to OPS technology including proper design of local grid, high voltage solutions, cabling between ship and quay, etc. The seminar ended with a study visit to Port of Ystad. Apart from visitng the OPS station at the port, participants were able to observe the installations onboard of Unity Line ferry.

Björn Boström, managing director of the Port of Ystad, said: "The seminar on Onshore Power Supply held in Ystad shows that there is a huge interest for connecting vessels to the shore grid and thereby save the environment. But the seminar also revealed significant disparities between the nations making it hard for the ports to cooperate, especially within the ferry business. The ship owner is of course interested in using only one system on board, regardless of the ports of call. The conditions are still very unequal and this we have to work with onwards. We are of course very proud of the confidence BPO showed us for hosting the seminar".

For the presentations please click here.