Technology company ABB is to install first shore-to-ship power solution at South Korea’s Port of Incheon, enabling passenger vessels to cut emissions, noise and vibrations at berth. This will also be the first shore power solution in South Korea.
The company secured the contract, after a pilot scheme for passenger ships to plug into the local grid received the go ahead from Incheon Port Authority (IPA).
We are honored to be selected by IPA to support their efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships, as well as moving towards increasingly sustainable port operations,
…said Juha Koskela, Managing Director, ABB Marine & Ports.
In addition to a new USD 160 million ferry terminal opened in April 2019, Port of Incheon inaugurated South Korea’s largest cruise terminal in June this year.
Given its metropolitan location and IPA’s ambitions to develop its ‘Golden Harbor’ vision for Incheon as a new tourism hub for the Northeast Asia, environmental credentials rank highly in port priorities.
An increasing number of ports around the world show a shift to shore power for ferries, as well as other passenger vessel types, to minimize emissions in ports.
This month, France’s Marseille Fos port authority revealed plans to spend €20 million over the next six years to extend shore power connections for berthed vessels to every ferry, cruise ship and repair quay within the Marseille eastern harbour.
Additionally, the municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority launched a pilot project which focuses on a variety of mobile shore-based power solutions for sea-going vessels and announced that five commercial parties are selected for the project.