EMEA News
Shore Power Now Live at Scotland's Port of Aberdeen
Shore power infrastructure is now available at Scotland's Port of Aberdeen, allowing vessels to plug into electricity at eight berths in the port's North Harbour.
The system has been installed by PowerCon and is expected to cut up to 60,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions over the next 20 years, Port of Aberdeen said in a statement on its website on Thursday.
Construction of the facility began in August 2024 as part of a £4 million project.
The first vessel to connect to the new system was OSM Thome's NS Iona, one of five ships retrofitted to use shore power under the project.
Port of Aberdeen is now looking to provide shore power connections at more berths in the port.
Shore power, also known as cold ironing, is being adopted at an increasing number of ports worldwide, particularly in Europe, as part of efforts to cut portside emissions. By drawing electricity from shore, vessels can avoid running onboard diesel generators while alongside.
However, while such infrastructure is a valuable step toward reducing emissions in port areas, it is not enough on its own to tackle global shipping emissions. Significant investment will still be needed to scale up the availability of low- and zero-carbon marine fuels at ports.
"We're in the business of clean energy, and we're driving and supporting the energy transition in the North Sea, Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of Port of Aberdeen, said.
"That's why it's so important that we're leading from the front – investing in the future of the port and a cleaner, greener way of working which benefits our environment, community and customers as we strive for net zero by 2040."
