A pilot project using a hydrogen generator to supply electricity to ships berthed at the Port of Gothenburg is now in its final phase.
This method may pave the way for reduced emissions in other ports where conventional shore power connections are not feasible, the port said.
The first facilities for connecting ships to shore-side electricity- On-shore Power Supply (OPS) – were installed at Gothenburg in the early 2000s. At that time, the OPS-facilities at Stena Line’s terminals for Germany and Denmark traffic were among the first of their kind in the world.
An OPS system requires significant investment, as well as a robust underlying electrical infrastructure at the port.
In such ports, alternative solutions are needed. Mobile hydrogen generators, like the one currently being tested at Stena Line’s Germany terminal, may offer a promising way forward, the port claimed.
As part of a two-week pilot project, a hydrogen-powered generator was connected to Stena Line’s existing shore power facility at Gothenburg. Using green hydrogen as fuel, the generator has supplied electricity to the ‘Stena Germanica’ and ’Stena Scandinavica’ while berthed.
“At Stena Line, we are eager to collaborate to test new technologies aimed at reducing emissions from our industry. This project shows that there are alternative solutions for ports that lack the infrastructure for shore power,” said Anders Peterson, Stena Line’s Group Head of Port Development & Engineering.
In 2030, a new EU regulation will come into effect requiring container and passenger vessels to use OPS while berthed.
According to a study by ICCT, this is expected to reduce emissions by just over 1 mill tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Viktor Allgurén, Head of Innovation at the Port of Gothenburg, added that hydrogen could help ports meet these requirements:
“Since the climate is a shared concern for us all, it is also in everyone’s interest that as many ports as possible around us succeed in meeting these demands.
“With our extensive experience in OPS, we are pleased to partner with Stena Line to serve as a test bed for this new technology, which may very well prove to be a viable solution for many ports,” Allgurén said.
The hydrogen generator being tested at Gothenburg was developed by Hitachi Energy, whose technology partner PowerCell Group supplies the generator’s power modules and expertise in fuel cell integration.
During the test, the generator used 100% green hydrogen supplied by gas producer, Linde Gas.
“We are very pleased with the results of the latest collaboration with Stena Line, PowerCell Group, Linde Gas, and the Port of Gothenburg. We value working with these industry players to continue exploring new application areas for HyFlex and to demonstrate its broad potential—from construction sites to port terminals—to accelerate the energy transition,” said Tobias Hansson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy in Sweden.
Hydrogen as a fuel has a range of potential applications in a port context. Today, the port has a hydrogen refueling station for trucks, hydrogen-powered work vehicles are currently being tested, and the technology used in the current OPS trial has also recently been used in the port by Skanska to power heavy machinery in a major terminal expansion project.
