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.

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.