Aarhus Tests Denmark’s First Shore Power for Containerships

October 29 ------ The Port of Aarhus in Denmark marked a milestone as it completed tests on the country’s first shore power for containerships with a trial docking. Officials highlighted the challenges of providing shore power for containerships while highlighting it as a competitive advantage for the port.

The new shore power facility for containerships was tested with the ship Dettifoss (25,690 dwt) operated by the Icelandic shipping company Eimskip. Built in China and entering service in 2020, the containership is 180 meters (588 feet) in length with a capacity for 2,150 TEU. The Dettifoss was connected for nearly 10 hours and received approximately 6.5 MWh from shore.

Eimskip noted that it was with great satisfaction that their ship became the first to receive shore power directly from the container terminal in Aarhus. “We have been using shore power for some time in Iceland, so being able to help get the facility up and running in Aarhus is a big deal,” said Thomas Breth Clausen, Managing Director at Eimskip Denmark.

Officials at the port highlighted that the system will be ready for daily operations in January 2027, and ships would have the option of connecting. They said it would reduce noise and particle pollution from the ships in the port and prepare Aarhus for the pending EU regulations for at-berth vessels. “Shore power for containerships is an important step in the development of a more sustainable port,” said Ulrik Andersen, CEO of the Port of Aarhus. “As a hub for freight transport, through which the majority of the country's container cargo passes, it is also important for our competitiveness and the green transition that we have established the facility.”

They noted there are challenges in providing shore power for container vessels. When the ships are at berth, they still use energy for operations, including ship infrastructure and refrigerated containers for food. They place large demands on the grid to support their operations.

In 2023, the Port of Aarhus opened Denmark's first shore power facility for cruise ships, but the new facility had different considerations. There is a need for a different kind of flexibility at the container terminal versus for cruise ships or ferries.

More ships arrive at the container terminal, there are more at a time, and they vary greatly in size and location at the berth. Once the new facility is fully built out, port officials said up to four containerships will be able to receive shore power simultaneously.

The project is supported by the EU's "Connecting Europe Facility" fund. It follows similar efforts in other European ports, including Hamburg, which has also begun implementing shore power at its terminals for the large container vessels. The Port of Rotterdam and ABB announced in January a large project to engineer and construct shore power systems with a total capacity of more than 100 MVA. It is expected to become available in the second half of 2028 and will serve three container terminals at Europe’s largest port.

The FuelEU Maritime Regulation mandates that container and passenger ships above 5,000 gross tons must connect to onshore power supplies while at berth. The regulation takes effect on January 1, 2030.

Source: maritime-executive.com