Hapag-Lloyd commits to shore power use at Hamburg port

German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has signed an agreement with the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) to use shore power at the Port of Hamburg.

IMAGE: A Hapag-Lloyd vessel at sea. Hapag-Lloyd

Under the agreement, Hapag-Lloyd will connect its vessels to the port's available shore power infrastructure whenever operationally feasible and continue integrating onshore power supply (OPS) into its vessel operations. The arrangement covers shore power facilities at all terminals in the port.

The company's container vessels Al Muraykh and Tihama, which operate on the Asia–North Europe trade route, have already successfully connected to shore power during recent calls at Hamburg.

Last year, container shipping firm Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) container ship, MSC Athens, successfully trialled shore power at HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder in Hamburg.

Shore power allows compatible vessels to draw electricity from the local grid while alongside, enabling them to switch off onboard auxiliary engines and reduce emissions during their stay in port.

About 35% of Hapag-Lloyd's current fleet is fully equipped to use shore power, the company said.

By Tuhin Roy

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