Sea-going ships test mobile shore power at the Port of Rotterdam

September 30, 2024, by Sara Kosmajac

Sea-going ships from the Dutch shipping company Cargow were successfully connected to moveable battery containers providing shore power at the Steinweg Beatrix Terminal in a recent pilot, the port of Rotterdam has unveiled.

As disclosed, the pilot—which took place at an operational terminal rather than a public dock—is an extension of an earlier one, conducted on Parkkade in late 2019 and early 2020. Unlike the first pilot, the most recent experiment involved Cargow’s vessels with a higher energy demand.

According to the Port of Rotterdam, the battery containers come from compatriot Zero Emission Services (ZES). Controlled by electric vehicle manufacturer Ebusco, financial corporation ING, maritime technology company Wärtsilä and the Port of Rotterdam Authority, ZES is known for its battery electric-powered inland vessels.

Three years ago, ZES started operations with the Alphenaar, the ‘first’ Dutch inland vessel to use interchangeable energy containers, the 20ft ‘ZESPacks’ filled with green electricity-sourced batteries, for propulsion.

The port has also emphasized that the goal of the project was to explore whether moveable shore power could serve as a feasible alternative where standard connections are unavailable due to grid limitations.

Having wrapped up the two pilots as hoped for, the Port of Rotterdam concluded that integrating the ‘versatile’ technological components on the shore and on the vessel, including the optimization of the logistics behind the moveable concept, has shown ‘particularly significant’ results.

That said, the port has cautioned that such a project carries a ‘hefty’ price tag compared to standard shore power connection, which is why it expects the technology to only be used at locations where no electricity is otherwise available.

Earlier this month, Rotterdam Shore Power (RSP), a partnership between the Port of Rotterdam and Eneco, joined forces with the container terminal operator Hutchinson Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT). ECT revealed then that plans were underway to allow sea-going vessels to connect to shore power by 2028.

Within the scope of this project, RSP is to construct and operate the shore power facilities, while the civil integration of the facilities at the quay and terminal site is set to be done by ECT and the Port of Rotterdam Authority, which stated the development was a part of ‘the largest shore power project in Europe’.

In regards to its decarbonization and sustainability targets, the Port of Rotterdam has had a ‘stellar’ performance. On track to meet its zero-emissions goals, the port has seen major investments that have led to the port going greener and greener.

With a total cargo throughput of 438.8 million tonnes in 2023 (6.1% less than the year before that), and a stable year-on-year revenue rise, the Port of Rotterdam has highlighted that it is ‘close’ to becoming a ‘truly future-proof’ port.