Last week, work officially got under way to construct a shore power installation at Zeebrugge’s Zweedse Kaai cruise terminal.
From early 2027 onwards, cruise ships berthing alongside will be able to switch to green electricity supplied from ashore.
Not only will this reduce quayside emissions to zero, but the odour and visual disturbance caused to local residents, passengers, and crew will be significantly less.
The Port of Antwerp/Bruges is building an onshore power supply (OPS) and a new high-voltage substation at the cruise terminal.
This means that the port will be ready to provide shore power to two cruise ships simultaneously by 2027 – three years before shore power becomes compulsory in 2030.
Plans are also on the table for a second installation.
The shore power installation forms part of the quay’s broader renovation that includes a new terminal building with boarding bridges, a battery system and the redevelopment of part of the quay into a green space.
These modifications will not only increase operational efficiency, but will also benefit the surrounding area.
Currently, the Zweedse Kaai accounts for about 5% of the CO₂ emissions from all ships berthed in Antwerp and Zeebrugge, as the cruise ships at the quay generate electricity using diesel generators.
In line with the Green Deal, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), the European Commission is prioritising shore power projects within a call that forms part of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) programme of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
To finance the shore power installation, the EC provided €3.1 mill of funding, in order to cover the higher than estimated cost and to ensure a payback period of around 20 years.
In addition, the Flemish government awarded €830,000 in strategic ecology support.
This shore power project forms part of Port of Antwerp/Bruges’ ambition to be climate neutral by 2050.
Rob Smeets, Port of Antwerp-Bruges COO, explained: “Shore power will enable us to reduce emissions at the cruise terminal to zero, while providing more comfortable conditions for passengers, crews and local residents. From 2027, ‘plug-in on arrival’ will become a reality in Zeebrugge, even before it becomes compulsory in Europe in 2030.”
Dirk De fauw, Bruges’s Mayor and Deputy Chair of the Board of Port of Antwerp/Bruges, added: ‘This project combines state-of-the-art infrastructure with quality of life by reducing emissions, odour and the generation of smoke.
“We purposefully set out to provide a future-proof port for cruise vessels that welcomes visitors without burdening the environment. By doing so, we are proving that sustainability and economic dynamism can go hand in hand,” he said.
Mark Dirckx, Equans Belux CEO, stated, “This project perfectly illustrates the role that Equans Belux is seeking to play in the energy transition that is taking place in the maritime sector.
“By acting as a single point of contact, we provide our client with a full-service solution that combines technical performance, reliability and sustainability. By providing shore power, we are helping to reduce emissions and improve the quality of life around the port, while paving the way towards the future of maritime transportation,” he said.
