Ministry: Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment

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Minister Schultz connects first ship to shore power

News item | 19-06-2012

Minister Schultz van Haegen (Infrastructure & the Environment) has put the Netherlands’ first shore-power station for ocean going ships into service. From now on, ferry operator Stena Line can connect its four ships at the Hoek van Holland terminal to shore power.

Minister Schultz: “This means that ships that are berthed no longer need to keep their engines running to generate electricity. The result is that fewer hazardous substances are released so that the air quality in the surrounding area will improve considerably.”

Shore power

When berthed, ocean-going ships consume energy in cooling and heating passenger areas, for example. The energy required is generated by generators that run on marine diesel fuel. This results in the emission of large amounts of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particles in usually densely-populated harbour areas. Connecting ships to onshore electricity (shore power) solves a great deal of the problem. The ship receives its electricity from a power plant that generates the electricity more cleanly and more efficiently. This applies in particular to ferries that are berthed for relatively long periods every day.

Stena Line, the municipality of Rotterdam, the Port of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Infrastructure & the Environment together funded the shore power station and the necessary modifications to the ships. Minister Schultz: “I have great admiration for Stena Line. In stormy economic weather it has nonetheless invested in new sustainable technologies.” The power supply runs via a power grid of network administrator Stedin that has been specially modified to supply shore power.

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