This page is all about electrifying vessels while in port or at sea, called shore power or cold-ironing. Scroll down to comment or ask us anything in the chat box. Want to know how feasible shore power is for your vessel? Use our tool to make your own business case in minutes.
Which technical specifications and standards apply with shore power? Download technical specs. and feasibility studies here.
How much power does a ship actually draw at berth? The same vessel can vary by 300%, sister ships doing exactly the same can differ by 30%, and Tankers of the same size can differ tenfold in installed capacity. This masterclass explains the methodology we use to estimate average shore power demand per ship category, using GT-based scaling functions and calibrated load factors built on 7,102 ships and 153 measured datasets.
Shore power is becoming mandatory in the EU from 2030, but no regulation says what it should cost. This masterclass explains how an OPS connection is defined, the three pricing models used across EU ports, what shipowners currently pay per kWh, and how that compares to generating electricity onboard.
This case study determines the cost of generating electricity onboard a ship using auxiliary diesel engines to determine when it is more cost-effective to purchase electricity from the grid in port. Results show that fuel costs alone sit around $0.20 per kWh, but once regulatory compliance costs are layered on top, the total effective costs rise sharply to $1.00 per kWh by 2040.
This case study explores the retrofit of the crude oil shuttle tanker Toril Knutsen to use onshore power supply (OPS) during port stays. The analysis assesses onboard retrofit requirements, power demand at berth, CAPEX, and the resulting business case. Total CAPEX is estimated at around $4M for a conservative tanker-specific configuration. Payback can fall in the range of 1 to 4 years, with most value driven by reduced FuelEU, EU ETS, and IMO-related compliance costs.
Reefers (Refrigerated Containers) increase power demand onboard container ships by approximately 4.38 kW per reefer container. The implication is material: even a relatively small share of reefers can account for a disproportionately large share of total berth power demand. Realtime measurements show that even when 1% of all containers onboard a ship are reefers, it can consume almost 20% of the ship’s total energy demand.
If shore power projects were easy, every port would already have them. Instead, developers run into the same fundamental challenges: unpredictable vessel power demand, complex infrastructure decisions, and business cases full of question marks. In this blog we look at those problems, and how our tools help you tackle them.
AFIR and FuelEU Maritime make the use of onshore power supply (OPS) effectively mandatory but say nothing about what it should cost or how it should be priced. The result is a patchwork of tariff designs and varying levels of transparency, making like-for-like comparisons difficult for shipowners and operators. This blog aims to provide at least some guidance on the matter.
When does the use of shore power become cost-effective for shipowners under new EU and IMO regulations? Using the Shore Power Quickscan, this article breaks down key cost components such as fuel, electricity, EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, and the upcoming IMO Net-Zero framework and compares cost impact of different routes on a 2,500 TEU containership. Results show that while shore power can already deliver savings from 2025 onwards (!), its competitiveness strengthens sharply after 2030 as compliance costs rise.
Accurate estimation of shore power demand at EU ports has become essential due to strict regulations like AFIR, which requires electrification for 90% of port calls by container and passenger ships at TEN-T ports by 2030. This blog evaluates three methods—using EU MRV fuel data, Sustainable Ships’ ship-specific power database, and ICCT research—to estimate the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for shore power. Results show the total annual electricity demand across EU ports is between approximately 6 and 13 TWh, highlighting the significant scale of infrastructure investment ahead.
This case study evaluates a mobile shore power battery barge designed for an offshore construction vessel in the Port of Rotterdam. An average power demand of 2.4 MW and a peak demand of 5 MW is assumed. This results in the requirement of twelve 20-ft containerized batteries integrated into a High Voltage Shore Connection (HVSC) system. Total costs of the power barge are estimated at $9.5M with a yearly revenue of approx. $2.5M.
Are there standardized sockets and plugs? Which standards apply? This, and more!