The Port of Prince Rupert has achieved a significant milestone in its emissions reduction measures with expanded shore power capacity at DP World Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal.
New electrical infrastructure was installed at the Terminal’s north berth and upgrades were made to the south berth through a partnership between the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA), DP World, and BC Hydro.
The full commissioning of the shore power system now allows ships at both berths to shut down their main generators and rely on specially equipped dockside power connections while their cargo is being loaded and unloaded. The first ship to utilize the new north berth shore power system was the COSCO CSCL Summer on December 12, 2022.
The ability to plug in large container vessels to shore power while at either terminal berth is forecast to reduce carbon emissions by almost 30,000 tonnes annually, as well as other air emissions related to vessel exhaust such as nitrogen oxides and particulates, from the local airshed.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority, DP World Prince Rupert, and BC Hydro contributions to the project were supported by $2.2 million in funding toward the $7.6 million project provided through Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Challenge Fund and was coordinated through BMO Radicle.
Shore power capacity is a critical component of the Port of Prince Rupert’s carbon reduction strategy and aligns with global efforts to transition the shipping and marine industries to renewable, clean energy sources
said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority.
The shore power project is a key part of PRPA’s Carbon Reduction Plan, which aims to reduce the Port’s greenhouse gas intensity by 305 from 2018 levels by the year 2030 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
