Shore power is a mature technology that allows ships to shut down auxiliary engines while at berth, thereby reducing fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, local pollutants and noise. It is increasingly recognized as a practical solution for achieving emission reductions and regulatory compliance, while also delivering operational benefits and improving local air quality and public health. This paper provides an update on the relevance and implementation status of shore power. It covers system fundamentals, practical implementation, regulatory and economic drivers, global uptake, emission reduction potential, and business case considerations, followed by perspectives on future global scaling.
Supplying ships at berth with clean electricity from shore in place of onboard diesel-generated power is a well-known concept. Shore power, also known as onshore power supply (OPS), cold ironing, or shore-side electricity, is technically mature and readily deployable, with a long history of recognized advantages. Using shore power during port stays may provide substantial benefits for local communities through cutting emissions of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter
(PM), in addition to lowering noise levels from ships running on auxiliaries in ports. Moreover, given that around 7% of the world fleet’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions occur while in port, shore power offers a notable GHG reduction potential for the maritime sector. Beyond
these immediate benefits, shore power can also act as an important stepping stone toward the broader electrification of maritime transport, including potential synergies with battery charging needs.
Despite the recognized benefits, challenges remain relating to costs, port readiness, and grid integration. The use of shore power is still limited on a global scale, with significant regional variations, and a pathway to scaling is not yet clear. Nevertheless, shore power is increasingly becoming a key tool to reduce emissions from ships in port. This is partly a result of tightening regional regulations (primarily in the EU, China, and the US State of California) that specifically mandate shore power availability and use, but also because shore power supports compliance with general GHG regulations.
Considering the new mandates and increasing industry attention, this paper provides an update on the relevance and implementation status of shore power. We provide a basic introduction to shore power systems and their components. The rationale for shore power is discussed, with special emphasis on recent regulatory developments driving uptake. An illustrative case is presented to highlight the economic impact of the currently most pivotal regulations (Fuel EU Maritime and EU ETS).
Exploring updated global status of shore power in terms of uptake by the fleet and availability in ports. Also, we explore the potential for shore power to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in the world fleet, applying an activity-based modelling approach.
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