ABB to power ships in port

ABB and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri have signed an agreement to collaborate on the construction, marketing and supply of high-voltage shore-connection (HVSC) systems to provide electricity to vessels in port.

HVSC systems enable ships to draw electricity from onshore power grids while in port to operate onboard equipment such as refrigeration units, lighting, cooling and heating systems, instead of burning oil to run electrical generators.

According to ABB, for a large cruise ship on a 10-hour stay in port, a shore connection can cut fuel consumption by up to 20 metric tons and reduce CO₂ emissions by 60 metric tons.

In Sweden, shore connections have reduced annual CO₂ emissions in the ports of Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsingborg and Pitea by 6,000 metric tons annually, according to the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL.