The British Columbia Government is to invest Can$9 mill towards the cost of delivering clean power to cruise ships berthed at the Ogden Point cruise terminal at Victoria (BC).
This funding will help plan, design and deliver clean, renewable energy to cruise ships, British Columbia’s Transportation Minister, Rob Fleming, said at a recent press conference.
Fleming said the aim is to have two berths where ships can plug into shore power.
“This will let cruise ships turn off their engines, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by almost half, and it is the equivalent of removing something like 3,400 vehicles from the capital region’s road network,” Minister Fleming claimed.
Shore power connections will also reduce noise pollution for local residents, a local politician said.
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority has been undertaking feasibility and planning studies on shore power for years. However, no timeline was given for when the equipment would be installed, CBC said.
Around 320 cruise ships are expected to berth at Ogden Point this year, bringing in around 850,000 pax, according to the harbour authority.
