As part of an innovative plan to provide shoreside power for tankers berthed at the Energy Terminal, the Gothenburg Port Authority has created a new concept that makes the system safe, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective.
The port has teamed up with shipping companies on the island of Donsö, national and European ports, classification societies, local oil companies, and the Swedish Transport Agency. The aim is to set a new global standard for shoreside power for tankers berthed in a hazardous environment.
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The downside of having a power supply point at the aft is that the length of a vessel can vary considerably. In many cases vessels are more than 150 metres long and the quays are considerably shorter. Locating a power connector at the aft would require the ports to build connection cranes at the quayside to reach the connector. Likewise, extremely long cables would be required together with complicated and expensive cranes to lift the cables. Instead of each port needing to adapt, the Port of Gothenburg has applied reverse thinking.
The greatest challenge is to ensure that tankers that are scheduled to be built are fitted with shoreside power connectors that adhere to a common standard applied at all ports. A further challenge is the constant risk of an explosion when the vessel is berthed at an energy terminal as the combustible and flammable products being pumped could easily be ignited by a spark from the electrical equipment
said Jörgen Wrennfors, Gothenburg Port Authority production engineer at the Energy Terminal.
The standard that the port is proposing puts the power connection point in the centre of the vessel. 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, added Mr. Wrennfors.
Even if the location of the power connector is agreed, the fact remains that power still needs to be supplied in an explosive atmosphere.
Work on the home front may have gone smoothly but persuading the international shipping community to recognise the underlying benefits of the new standard that is being advocated and opt for the Port of Gothenburg solution is not quite as straightforward.
Bringing about a change in underlying assumptions is essential. It is vital that major ports, oil companies, public authorities, and classification societies are included to ensure we have a new standard in place that everyone adheres to. A solution is currently being produced here at the Port of Gothenburg and we are leading by example. It is our hope that this will be noted and incorporated into international standardisation procedures in the future.
