Following 22 months of construction, the Port of Rotterdam’s cruise port shore power installation has officially opened on the Holland Amerikakade quay in the Netherlands.
The shore power installation was built by Danish company PowerCon in collaboration with Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Municipality of Rotterdam, Stedin, Igus and project partners J.P. van Eesteren, Heijmans, Royal HaskoningDHV and Xylem on behalf of Cruise Port Shore Power.
Enabling shore power technologies
The quay now has a new type of connection vehicle and a 230m cable duct, which provides a flexible connection point along the entire 230m. This is intended to cater to the various locations of shore power connections on each ship in the port.
According to the partners, the composite, flexible-use support vehicle is small and easy to use, and the cable duct has been designed to ensure that there are no obstructions or disruptions from cables on the quay. The cooling system of the shore power installation, like that of the cruise terminal, is cooled using water from the Maas river, and there is a new, separate 1.5km sustainable electricity grid connection from Maashaven to Wilhelminakade.
Sustainable operations
The shore power installation formed part of the port’s plans to stay ahead of European law that stipulates that all cruise ships in European ports must use shore power by 2030.
The project was carried out while the cruise terminal was operational and cruise ships were docking at the quay on a weekly basis. Cruise Port Shore Power expects to be able to connect 75% of the cruise ships in Rotterdam to shore power in the first year. Using shore power reduces not only CO2, but also nitrogen and particulate matter emissions. On top of that, noise levels from docked cruise ships are also to decline.
The inauguration was performed by Robert Simons, alderman for Port and Economy for the Municipality of Rotterdam, and Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority.
Simons commented, “Cruise ships are a valuable source of income, and by disconnecting them from the power grid we are improving the air quality and reducing noise pollution. That is good for the quality of life and our economy. I am proud of this result and would like to thank everyone who worked toward this.”
Siemons added, “We are proud and delighted that the shore power installation has been put into operation today. After an intensive construction period, we are today taking an important new step in making the port of Rotterdam and the city more sustainable. Shore power for cruise ships is a crucial and necessary part of this.”
In related news, Igus recently deployed what it says is the world’s first mobile shore power connection system at the Port of Hamburg. Click here to read the full story and watch the video
