Local collaboration enables significant emission cuts from cruise industry

Larger ships make up the vast majority of black carbon emissions, according to a report from European Maritime Transport Environmental.  Although cruise ships make up only 1 percent of the global fleet, they account for 6 percent of black carbon emissions. This makes cruise ships emitting the highest amount of black carbon per ship of any vessel.

Effective way to cut emissions

Transforming the cruise industry is an effective way of cutting emissions.  Onshore power systems allow vessels to shut down their engines while berthed and plug into an onshore power source, as the ship’s power load is transferred to the onshore power supply without disruption to onboard services. This will eliminate emissions to the local surrounding.

Last year The Port of Bergen welcomed 610 000 cruise passengers, from over 300 cruise ships. The port has been working hard to reduce emissions from the docking cruise ships. The onshore power system (OPS) in Bergen is the largest in Europe and can supply power to three cruise ships simultaneously.

The 2024 goal is that at least 50 % of all docking cruise ships should be connected to onshore power. In April, the numbers showed a 65 % success rate. Already in two years, the aim is to supply onshore power to all cruise ships, and by 2030, Port of Bergen aims to be emission free.

Requires broad collaboration

However, such a port transmission requires a collaboration between the ports, supplying the necessary technical equipment that include switchgear, transformers and frequency converters, and the ship owners, to fit or retrofit onshore power capabilities into its systems, or building new ships.

As increased onshore power facilities in ports also places a higher demand on power for a port or city power grid, the project also requires a broad cooperation with energy producers.

Recent figures from Port of Bergen show a significant decrease in emissions from ships while at berth in recent years. In five years, Sulphur emissions (SOx) have been reduced by 50 percent, Nitrogen oxides (NOx) have been reduced by 27 percent and Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have been reduced by 53,000 tons.

- This is a direct result of the Bergen-based company Plug | Shore Power & Maritime Charging and the Port of Bergen’s shared effort in expanding shore power to most types of ships, boasting Europe's largest shore power facility for cruise ships, said Director of the Port of Bergen, Mikael Forland as he released the latest statistics.

Plug is currenly enabling Scottish ports to supply onshore power to docking vessels. Photo: Plug

Plug’s contributions range from funding, feasibility studies, development, operations and data insights—ensuring a technical and financial sustainable solution for an onshore power system, and is now exporting their knowledge to ports around the world. The collaboration with Port of Bergen is a great example of how Greater Bergen is a complete maritime commercial region currently pioneering sustainable maritime solutions.

A knowledge hub for renewable energy

Several ports in Europe have developed the Environmental Port Index (EPI) tool, which measures cruise ship emissions at berth. The aim is the the ports should become more data driven in terms of collecting sustainability data. In Bergen the EPI operates according to the Polluter Pays Principle as one of the key principles underlying the EU's environmental policy.

You can check a real time reduced emission calculator here.

To supply enough power, ports and cities will need to collaborate in building resilience: through green sourcing of electricity in solar, wind, and or hydroelectric power; smart grids; or battery storage. The ongoing work in Port of Bergen is a part of the energy transition happening in Vestland, currently being a knowledge hub for sustainable energy on several levels.

This cross-sector cooperation and interdisciplinary knowledge is crucial in achieving a zero-emission society. Invest in Bergen can help you navigate if your company would like to settle in aur buzzing region. Don’t hesitate to contact any of our advisors.