The Italian port of Genoa is poised to acquire a shore-power solution for ships to reduce air emissions, while minimizing the noise pollution that upsets tourists and inhabitants of the neighbouring areas.
The multinational electric systems provider Nidec Industrial Solutions has signed a contract worth 8 million euros with Port System Authority of the Western Ligurian Sea to design and construct the “shore-to-ship” project in Genoa.
Shore-power refers to an advanced electrical supply system that will enable docked vessels to plug in to the national grid from the dock, thereby accessing all the energy they need to be fully operative without having to switch on their onboard engines.
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The project responds to the need to comply with the directives of the European Union which, since 2003, has been urging ports to adopt shore-to-ship systems in order to reduce the polluting emissions of vessels in port. By 2025 this recommendation will become binding for all European ports.
For the Port of Genoa, Nidec Industrial Solutions will supply two 6 MVA static frequency converters which, with the overloads required, can reach up to 12 MVA, as well as switchboards and LV/MV transformers, connecting cables for the various devices and any accessory components.
Kaila Haines, Marketing and PR Director of Nidec Industrial Solutions, stated:
For us this project is a major milestone in the reduction of the environmental impact of port activities, a central theme for promoting a sustainable development model in a country like Italy, which has 7,500 km of coastland and 42 large ports. The transformation of these ports with a view to achieving greater safety and savings on energy may also contribute to attracting more cruise vessels, and this would have a positive impact on trade and tourism.
In view of the several environmental benefits of shore power supply, IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) earlier this month examined safety aspects on the solution.
