Finnish ferry operator Finnlines and Norway’s technology company Yara Marine Technologies have signed a contract to install Yara Marine’s shore power solution onboard three vessels.
As explained, the turnkey solution will allow these vessels to connect to the local power grid when in port, switching to electricity rather than using auxiliary engines running on fuel.
The installations, which are scheduled for completion in 2022, will help Finnlines eliminate shipboard emissions in port and thus reduce its environmental footprint.
The use of shore power by ships is particularly beneficial to portside communities, whose quality of life is impacted by concentrated emissions by numerous vessels in port, as well as the associated noise and vibrations from ship engines.
Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels and passenger ferries are very suitable candidates for this technology due to their operational profile. As an early adopter of shore power solutions, Finnlines is following through on its commitment to meeting customer demands for more environmentally conscious services.
“Finnlines is committed to providing sustainable and responsible transportation options in the Baltic and North Seas… By equipping these vessels with a shore-to-ship connection, we commit to our goal of reducing harmful emissions and noise while at port,” Thomas Doepel , COO of Finnlines, commented.
Shore power is largely viewed as a means by which the shipping industry can reduce its fuel consumption , meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations, and transit to net zero emissions – particularly if the shoreside connection is able to supply renewable energy.
The recent signing of a joint commitment for the electrification of ports by 2028 by a number of government ministers and port authorities at the One Ocean Summit in France demonstrates clear industry recognition of shore power as a potential route to enable decarbonization targets while allowing for cleaner, lower-impact energy solutions for stopovers.
However, setting up shore power solutions can be technically challenging, particularly in cases where operators are using two or three different systems onboard that are not compatible with each other.
Yara Marine claims that its turnkey shore power solution is designed to provide an answer to this issue, thereby reducing the complexity of installation, and mitigating project-related risks, such as fleet-wide installations.
“Yara Marine Technologies is keen to support cleaner and sustainable operations throughout the maritime industry. We look forward to working with Finnlines to provide solutions that will maximize benefits across the board,” Aleksander Askeland, CSO of Yara Marine Technologies, said.
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