Hamburg Plans Shore Power by Spring

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday July 24, 2014

Siemens says the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has commissioned it to build a power supply to provide cold ironing to cruise ships at the Hamburg Altona terminal for about €8.5 million ($11.4 million).

The system, which will accommodate cruise ships of all common sizes and electrical system designs, includes a mobile robot arm that transports cable connectors and a communications link into the ship through the outer hatch and compensates for the tidal range while the ship is attached to shore power.

The 12 megavolt ampere (MVA) system provides a frequency converter with control software that can adjust the frequency of the grid power to the ship electrical system, as well as switchgears, transformers, a fire safety system, and air conditioning and ventilation for the building.

The system is scheduled for commissioning in the spring of 2015.

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has questioned whether shore power is an effective solution for reducing pollution in port communities in all cases.