Yara Marine is to install its shore power solution on board four Stena Line ferries to aid in reducing carbon emissions produced by the fleet.
The turnkey solution will enable the vessels to connect to the local power grid when docked at port, eliminating noise and emissions which would otherwise be produced by the ferries’ engines. Yara Marine is set to carry out the installations in the latter half of 2022.
“Emissions reduction is at the heart of our sustainable operations,” commented Hans Corneliusson, fleet support manager, Stena Line. “Connecting a single vessel to a green electrical grid when in port can reduce CO2 emissions by over 5,000 tons per year – and this effect is multiplied across our fleet.
“We firmly believe that the number of ports offering shore-based power connectivity will increase in the near future and we are happy to support this change through investments in our fleet to make them compatible with this technology. Our holistic approach to minimizing emissions by only sourcing renewable energy for shore power is in line with both customer expectations and upcoming regulatory requirements.”
With many ship operators seeking to reduce emissions, noise and vibrations by using shore power, a number of technical complexities are becoming apparent when attempting to interconnect systems from various providers.
Yara Marine has overcome this hurdle by designing a single shore power system which enables easy installation which, in turn, guarantees compatibility with various system elements, in addition to reducing project-related risks, such as the sourcing of spare parts. This makes the system suitable for installation to entire fleets.
“The shipping industry is keen to achieve cleaner and truly sustainable operations, and shore power is an ideal means to reduce emissions with immediate effect,” said Aleksander Askeland, CSO, Yara Marine Technologies. “At Yara Marine, we believe in making it easy for companies to make their operations greener, no matter the specifics of their operating conditions.”
Stena Line began using shore power for some of its vessels in 1989, and now requires that shore-based terminals are supplied with renewable energy to minimize emissions throughout the company’s supply chain.
The project will subsequently improve the green credentials of the company’s fleet in addition to improving the quality of life for port-side communities where the vessels dock.