The Port of Québec announced a feasibility study on providing shore power supply for cruise ships. The study will evaluate project costs, technical feasibility, and its impact on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Talks are underway with suppliers and Hydro-Québec to determine energy needs such a project would require. By greenlighting such a project, the Port of Québec would become a world leader in the industry’s decarbonization.
The other ports in the Canada-New England route are also considering the initiative, which would make the cruise circuit among the greenest in the world.
In the wake of the recent pandemic, many cruise lines proceeded with the large-scale electrification of their ships, which changed everything in just a couple of years. This has led us to seriously consider electrifying our wharves in the short term
said Mario Girard, further noting that the Cruise Lines International Association has committed to all ships docking at an electrified dock be equipped to use it by 2035.
The Port of Québec also presented its projections for the next international cruise season. It expects about 116 ship stopovers in Québec City in 2023, carrying a total of 168,000 passengers.
Cruise ship occupancy rates should continue to climb to pre-pandemic levels. A 90% occupancy rate is already anticipated for the last quarter of 2022, compared to 54% for the first quarter. The lifting of sanitary restrictions for most countries is helping with this recovery.
