Port electrification: what is it and how does it work?

Maritime transport faces a route towards zero emissions in which the electrification of ports is a fundamental pillar

The importance of maritime transport in our daily lives is perhaps underestimated by the vast majority of us. However, human beings have known how to use the great highways of the seas and rivers to their advantage since the beginning of time, and this has been crucial to the advancement of our societies. It is difficult to imagine our world without the sea routes that allowed the transport of essential raw materials, along with people, from one side of the globe to the other. Whether it was the Greeks, Egyptians, Carthaginians, Chinese, Romans, Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, or many others, each and every one of the great empires had their backbone in the use of ships for trade; which was the spur of current globalization. A relevance for our society—explained by the high efficiency of this type of transport—that today has only increased; 90% of the goods distributed worldwide are distributed across the seas and oceans. And you might ask, where does port electrification fit into this equation? Let’s get to it.

The huge figures associated with maritime transport – let’s think that while you are reading this article, 20,000,000 containers are being transported by 5,000 merchant ships that sail our seas – also imply environmental impact criteria, as reported by Transport & Environment, which estimates that 1,000 million tons of CO2 (3% of global emissions) are emitted by a sector that will increase its impact by 50% by the middle of the century if alternative measures are not implemented. Among these measures, which include the replacement of traditional fuels with alternatives generated with renewable energy such as green hydrogen, is the very relevant electrification of ports. And these are the ones in charge of receiving the merchandise and people that the ships move from one place to another.

Why is port electrification necessary?

Contrary to what we might think, a ship’s activity does not stop when it arrives at port, but rather increases frantically in order to fulfill its mission and once again sail the seas in search of another entrance where it can dock again; and so on. When a ship docks, it must maintain its energy system to guarantee its operation while the personnel on board unload the valuable merchandise or help the passengers return to land. This energy is generated through auxiliary systems that allow these small floating cities to operate for their crews. However, this comes at a significant cost in terms of emissions of harmful gases such as sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter; this poses a risk to the populations bordering the port facilities, in addition to increasing the already considerable atmospheric footprint resulting from their activities. Transport & Environment puts the impact generated by vacation cruises alone at the equivalent of the emissions of 1 billion cars.

A separate chapter is deserved by the inconvenience caused by the incessant noise and vibrations of the combustion electric generators themselves, which remain in operation to guarantee the electrical supply to the ships. Something that is suffered by the populations near the ports, where the

Well, there is a technology (with a long history in uses such as small-scale recreational or military) that guarantees the operation of a fundamental sector for us and that banishes, once and for all, the problems caused during the docking of ships: the electrification of ports.

This technology is based on offering a safe and stable electrical connection to ships while they are docked in ports. This is what is known as On-Shore Power Supply (OPS), which allows these ships to be supplied with electricity from the port itself without having to keep their internal combustion engines running to generate it, eliminating virtually all noise, vibrations, and harmful emissions for the population centers closest to the port facilities. This OPS technology includes the supply of electricity to ships from land in both low voltage (400 V / 480 V) and high voltage (6.6 kV / 11 kV).

Thus, by 2030 green ports must be a reality in all European countries, as established by the European Union’s environmental regulations and its commitments to curb emissions. Not in vain, the EU itself estimates that the volume of goods that European ports will handle will increase by 50% in 2030 compared to that recorded in 2001, when they reached 3.7 billion tonnes; an increase that, if there is no change in operation, will further increase the carbon footprint of this type of activity.

How does an OPS solution work?

For the electrical interconnection of ships to work perfectly, an infrastructure that guarantees the energy supply to these at all times is necessary. And depending on the type of ship, the existing electrical infrastructure of a port will not be able to supply its needs; as is the case with a large cruise ship, whose daily consumption can reach a not inconsiderable 10 or 12 MW, compared to the 2-4 MW required by a ferry. To achieve this, ports must have their own electrical substation, which will be the entry point for the additional energy needed to guarantee the service.

From the substation, adapted to the port’s own consumption needs, the electrical energy will be distributed through its own network that is directed to each of the connection points on the docks. To do this, the energy passes through the medium-voltage switchgear, which includes both medium-voltage cells – in the configuration required by the port infrastructure itself – and transformers to reduce the network voltage for consumption. Furthermore, this electricity is processed by a frequency converter to adapt it to the needs of the client’s vessel, and adapted again thanks to a medium-voltage transformer, as well as conducted to the vessel itself thanks to the work of a new set of distribution cells, which will protect the electrical systems at all times while the vessel receives the energy necessary for its operation. It is at the dock itself where the connection is made through plug-in systems.

With the technology and experience of leading companies in the electrical grid, such as Ormazabal, the electrification of ports will become one of the fundamental pillars of the change in the maritime transport model, achieving a reduction in atmospheric emissions and taking firm steps towards the decarbonization of our economy. Can we help you achieve this?