Port of Skagen to build shore power facility for cruise ships

The Port of Skagen in Denmark has awarded a contract for the installation of a new shore power system dedicated to cruise vessels.

IMAGE: Aerial view of Skagen port in Denmark. Getty Images

The facility will be built at Quay 9, the port’s cruise berth, with a planned capacity of 16 megawatts (MW). Delivery is scheduled for the end of 2027, allowing the system to become operational for the 2028 cruise season. Construction is set to begin immediately and is expected to take around 18 months.

When the project is complete, cruise ships calling at Skagen will be able to switch off their onboard diesel-powered generators and draw electricity directly from the local grid while berthed. This is expected to significantly cut emissions as well as reduce noise levels in and around the port.

The shore power installation will be supplied by the Danish shore power specialist PowerCon, with support from Norwegian technology company Plug and utility operator Nord Energi Net.

The project aligns with upcoming European regulations aimed at decarbonising maritime transport. Under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), major coastal and inland ports within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) must provide onshore power supply (OPS) for container and passenger ships by the end of 2029. In addition, FuelEU Maritime will require vessels exceeding 5,000 gross tonnage to connect to shore power while berthed at TEN-T ports from 2030 onward.

By Tuhin Roy

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