Port of Gothenburg to revolutionise shore power for tankers
The Gothenburg Port Authority, which operates the largest harbour in Sweden, has developed the concept of the innovative shore power system. It is dedicated to the power supply for tankers berthed at the Energy Terminal of the Swedish port. The solution is expected to be deployed in Spring 2024.
Starting from Spring 2024, the berthed tankers in the Port of Gothenburg will be able to switch off their diesel engines. Instead of generating CO2 emissions in a hazardous environment during loading or unloading operations, the vessel will be connected to the shore power system with the help of a dedicated cable, which transmits green power from shore onboard. The concept of the solution has been recently developed by the Gothenburg Port Authority together with the shipping companies based on the Donsö island, national and European ports, classification societies, local oil companies and the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen).
A similar shore power system is functioning at the Ro-Ro Terminal in the Port of Gothenburg. Therefore, the port authority decided to apply this experience at the Energy Terminal where the tankers are usually berthed. To implement the concept, the Gothenburg Port Authority needs two years. According to the preliminary estimations, the innovation will allow the Swedish port to reduce its annual carbon footprint by 1,815 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The project is funded by the port authority and the Government of Sweden.
Power connection
Due to the different lengths of ships, the power supply point is placed in the centre of the ship. “The standard we are proposing puts the power connection point in the centre of the vessel and we are in the process of formulating a technical requirement specification for shipbuilders to implement this novel approach. As all tankers have their loading crane in the centre of the vessel this would be the optimal solution for lifting the power cable on board. As a result, the length of the vessel would no longer be an issue and the direction in which she docks is irrelevant. We regard this as the best technical solution and it offers substantial cost savings at each berth,” said Jörgen Wrennfors, Gothenburg Port Authority production engineer at the Energy Terminal.