Shore power launched at Port of Aberdeen

The Scottish port of Aberdeen has started supplying onshore power to vessels docked at eight berths in its North Harbour.

IMAGE: The Port of Aberdeen in Scotland. Getty Images

Shore-to-ship power or “cold ironing” is an electrical power supply provided to ships when they are docked at ports.

As part of this project, five existing ships have been retrofitted to enable shore power connectivity. Norwegian shipping company OSM Thome’s vessel, NS Iona, was the first vessel to successfully connect to the system, the port authority said.

The UK government’s transport department’s Zero Emissions, Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition and government-backed innovation agency Innovate UK have jointly funded the project.

“This joint public-private partnership at Port of Aberdeen represents a combined investment of £4 million [$5.4 million] in new clean energy infrastructure,” the port authority said. Danish electrical equipment supplier PowerCon has supplied the systems, it added.

The port has also installed shore power infrastructure to service vessels on two berths Regent Quay. It is currently installing shore power infrastructure for Serco NorthLink’s passenger ferries, that sail daily between Aberdeen and Shetland.

Shore power technology is gaining momentum as ports and ship operators aim to cut emissions while ships are docked.

Other recent shore power projects include the Port of Antwerp-Bruges' plan to establish a shore power facility for cruise ships by the second half of 2026.

Additionally, the Spanish port of Cartagena recently launched a tender for the design, construction and operation of onshore power supply system at the Juan Sebastián Elcano cruise terminal.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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