Shore to Ship Power Supplies
Many of the world’s ports are located in major cities, in fact to be more accurate where there are major ports, large cities have grown around them.
As increasing attention is focused on the reduction and eventual elimination of greenhouse gas emissions such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), port authorities are under pressure from their governments to play their part in improving air quality.
Caption: Schematic of shore to ship power supply
Image credit: ABB
Ships visiting port have to maintain onboard services that require electrical power - usually provided by onboard auxiliary generators, creating noise, vibration and exhaust pollution.
ABB offer a shore to ship power supply system that can connect any ship to the grid, thereby allowing “cold ironing” or the shutting down of on board engines while in port.
According to them, the 100,000 vessels docking annually at the world’s 4,500 ports produce 900 million tonnes of CO2 - equal to 220 coal fired power stations. ABB also give an example of a cruise ship using shore power in port that not only reduces genset running hours and exhaust emissions to zero, it could save up to $750,000 in operational costs.
The ABB system comprises transformer and converter substations with berth terminal(s). As the standard grid frequency in Europe is 50 Hz (Hertz) while most ships use 60 Hz, frequency and voltage conversion is required with automatic control of the synchronization process to achieve a seamless power transfer without disruption of the onboard services
The first installation was completed last year at the port of Gothenburg, Sweden and they are currently installing two new systems for completion this year in Sweden and the Netherlands.
The new Netherlands installation is at the port of Hoek van Holland and will permit the simultaneous connection of two Stena Line vessels to the local grid. On board modification to the electrical and automation systems to enable shore-side power supply will be carried out on two ROPAX (roll-on/roll-off passenger) vessels as well as on two RORO (roll-on/roll-off) ferries.
The second installation in Sweden, at the port of Ystad, will have the world’s largest shore connection frequency converter and is capable of supplying up to seven ships simultaneously.
Caption: Quay terminal facility for shore to ship power supply
Image credit: ABB
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