Port of Barcelona to offer shore power from July

Spanish port of Barcelona expects to start offering shore power to container ships arriving at the port from July.

PHOTO: Port and company representatives near the OPS system at the Port of Barcelona. Port of Barcelona

The Port of Barcelona’s first onshore power supply (OPS) system for container ships has arrived at the Hutchison Ports BEST terminal. The OPS substation consists of six modules and can allow up to two container ships to be connected simultaneously.

Installation and further tests of the OPS system are anticipated to be completed in the next four months. The port authority plans to start supplying ships with complete renewable energy, which will be generated using solar panels in the port.

The OPS system has been assembled by Danish battery company Powercon.

The BEST terminal OPS and the one being built at the Ferry Terminal will also serve as pilot projects to support the rollout of OPS across the port, the port authority says.

The project has been co-funded by the EU’s Sustainable and Digital Transport Support Programme, which aims to reduce emissions from transportation.

Shore power or “cold ironing” has been gaining traction across ports and ship operators globally because it helps to reduce emissions while a ship is berthed.

According to the classification society DNV, there are currently 118 facilities across ports globally that offer shore power connectivity to vessels, with 47 more planned and four under discussion.

By Tuhin Roy

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