US Miami-Dade County has signed a joint statement together with six cruise ship operators and Florida Power and Light in what is being hailed as the first step in bringing shore power to PortMiami.
The six cruise companies involved are Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and Virgin Voyages.
As a result, the Mayor’s office will convene a working group with representatives from each company to work towards an initial installation and eventually a full shore power rollout.
Entrepreneur and former Miami Beach Mayor, Philip Levine is helping lead this initiative as a volunteer special advisor focused on the future of cruising, working with the Mayor’s office, the Port, and cruise companies, to shape a more resilient cruise industry.
“This is a major win for our port, the environment, the entire region, and the state of Florida, and I’m incredibly proud to deliver on my commitment to bring shore power to our community with this initiative.
“The goal is to make PortMiami the first seaport in the State of Florida and the southeastern US to provide shore power hookup – not just the cruise capital of the world but a leader in sustainability,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
“I’m proud to work with Mayor Levine Cava, her team, and our cruise partners on this milestone initiative for Miami-Dade. I’m looking forward to working with the county to build a more resilient future for our cruising industry and springboard our economic recovery, as we look to the safe return of cruising in coming months,” said Mayor Philip Levine.
In a blog, Royal Caribbean confirmed that it had joined five other cruise lines in signing up for the initiative to bring shore power to PortMiami.
Shore power allows cruise ships to ‘hook up’ to electricity at the port, so that the vessels do not need to operate their engines, while idle.
Ships using shore power also save on fuel, while at a berth. Air pollution emissions associated with the fuel consumption are also reduced.
Many ships have been built to use shore power.
While natural gas and nuclear power are cleaner than running diesel engines, there is still air pollution from the electricity generated by natural gas, while nuclear has its own sets of challenges, including where to store the waste, Royal Caribbean said.
