EMEA News
Danish Port to Enable Shore Power for Boxships in 2026
Denmark's Port of Aarhus has collaborated with PowerCon to establish shore power connectivity for container vessels.
The port already provides shore power for cruise ships, with 2024 marking its first full year of operation at the cruise terminal, where about 68% of vessels have utilised the facility, the Port of Aarhus said in a statement on its website.
"PowerCon will deliver the transformer station and power management system for the new facility, while ShibataFenderTeam and Igus will supply a flexible cable system that can be moved around the quay to meet the ships' needs," it said.
The shore power facility for container vessels will come online in 2026.
By 2030, ports in Aarhus, Gothenburg, Bremerhaven and Stockholm will provide shore power for container ships under the "OPS Network" project. The initiative, backed by the EU's "Connecting Europe Facility" fund, has secured a grant of €18.8 million ($19.72 million).
Shore power, or cold ironing, enables vessels to connect to onshore electricity while docked, reducing reliance on onboard auxiliary engines. This takes the responsibility for emissions away from the vessel itself to the land-based grid - and if that grid uses power from renewable sources, reduces overall emissions.
Under the FuelEU regulations, passenger and container vessels must use shore power at EU ports covered by the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation from 2030.
