By Paris Tsirigotis 

 

The ports of Piraeus and Heraklion are proceeding with energy transformation of their facilities, in order to be able to provide coastal electricity to cruise ships in the near future.

 

The country's two main ports are turning to "green" forms of energy, as they have already been included in the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) list of ports. 

 

Meanwhile, large cruise ship companies have made significant investments in their ships over the last years in order to be able to connect to shore electricity infrastructures during their docking. 

 

According to a recent study by the US Environmental Protection Agency, connection to shore power allows cruise ships' engines to be turned off while in port, reducing gas emissions by up to 98%. 

 

As far as the port of Piraeus is concerned, the plan for the electrification of cruise ships and coastal shipping has already matured. In the existing area of the port, four places for electrification of cruise ships and another five places for the passenger port of coastal shipping have been planned. The services of the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) are already working at the moment in order to submit a proposal for financing the construction of the five coastal shipping berths from the beginning of 2024. 

 

As for the cruise ship berths, the process is expected to be more time-consuming, as the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) has not yet secured the necessary high-voltage electrical power, provided that the existing berths will require approximately 80 megawatts. 

 

PPA has started cooperation with the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO), the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) and the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAEWW) in order to meet a specific request for the transfer of the necessary power, as this is a large project, part of which should be completed by 2030. 

 

Regarding the port of Heraklion, the procedures for providing coastal electricity to ships and cruise ships are in progress. The project is funded by the CEF 2020 funding mechanism which includes all the relevant studies. Five electrification positions have been planned for the port of Heraklion, while discussions are held in order to overcome various technical compatibility problems. 

 

According to CLIA, more than 210 ships are scheduled to have shore-based electrification systems or be configured to add electrification by 2028. Today, in the total fleet of CLIA member companies, 120 ships (46% of the total) are equipped to connect to shore power, while only 33 ports worldwide have at least one berth equipped with shore power.