Norwegian company Yara Marine Technologies is to work with French shore power specialist NG3 on the development of ship-to-shore power systems.
“We used to do shore power projects on ships some years ago, but the market was too slow,” explained Aleksander Askeland, CSO at Yara Marine Technologies. “Now, however, with new regulations and grants supporting shipowners’ shore power investments, we are back in the business of shore power. Together with NG3, we are ready to take on new orders.”
NG3 has been in the business of shore connection systems for 10 years, along with several other technologies for ships, such as automated mooring systems, and gas combustion units for LNG-propelled ships.
“We sought out NG3 due to its proven competence and mindset to constantly develop and improve its technology. It demonstrates a skill set and a passion for engineering that makes for a great cultural fit with us,” Askeland continued.
According to Yara, the move was prompted by a recent call by the EU parliament for a ban on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships at berth by 2030.
“This is a major step for the industry,” Askeland added. “It will cut emissions tremendously – both GHG emissions, but also local air pollution, like black carbon, SOX and NOX , cleaning up the air in our cities and saving thousands of lives.”
The ban would include any ships with a gross tonnage of 5,000 or more arriving at, within or departing from ports under the jurisdiction of an EU member state. In practical terms, to achieve no GHG emissions at berth within less than nine years, ships will have to connect to power from shore as zero emissions propulsion systems will still be far from commonplace.
Yara notes that in addition to the EU parliament initiative, several ports are already introducing a ban on GHG emissions at bay by 2025. For example, in China, shore power will need to be used if a cruise ship is at berth with onshore power supply capacity for more than three hours in emission control areas.
Askeland concluded, “Yara Marine’s ship-to-shore technology can help to save fuel that would otherwise be used to power vessels while in port. According to the Fourth IMO GHG Study, shore power can reduce overall GHG emissions from ships quite a bit. In addition, it will contribute to better air quality in the proximate port area, facilitate maintenance of the ship’s engines and generators, and reduce noise from the vessel at berth.”