23/1/2025

Agreement on New Shore Power Project Finalized: Will Be Among the Most Advanced in Europe

Soon, container ships calling at Denmark's largest commercial port will be able to hook on shore power and turn off diesel generators.

The Port of Aarhus has an onshore power plant on its way to container ships, which will be the first of its kind in Denmark. And a new agreement stipulates that it must be supplied by Danish PowerCon.

We are pleased that we can once againcollaborate with PowerCon to establish a shore power facility. It will reduceboth noise and local particle pollution caused by ships using dieselgenerators. This benefits both the residents of the surrounding area and theemployees at the port,

says Anne Zachariassen, COO at Port of Aarhus.

The facility will be located at the container terminal in Aarhus, Denmark's largest.

2024 marked the first full year of operation for the shore power facility at the cruise terminal, with 68 percent of the cruise ships docking there using shore power.

The facility for container ships, however, will be a little different.

The shore power plant at the cruise terminal is being used extensively.

An advanced project

PowerCon will deliver the transformer station and power management system for the new facility, while ShibataFenderTeam and Igus will supply a flexible cable system that can be moved around the quay to meet the ships’ needs.

This setup will enable the facility to supply power to up to four container ships simultaneously when fully completed.

The shore power facility at the container terminal is one of the most advanced projects in Europe. We are proud that PowerCon’s technology and expertise contribute to a vision that sets new standards for green port operations,

says Jacob Bjarkam, Head of Sales at PowerCon.

Ports in Aarhus, Gothenburg, Bremerhaven, and Stockholm will all offer shore power for container ships by 2030 as part of the “OPS Network” project. The project is supported by the EU fund “Connecting Europe Facilities” with a grant of 18.8 million euros.

“We are very pleased that the European Commission and the CEF Committee recognize our high ambitions for the green transition. As some of Northern Europe’s most important ports, it is fantastic that we can collaborate to reduce the shipping industry’s climate footprint—this is a global challenge we stand together to tackle. Shore power for container ships is a crucial part of this effort for all the involved ports,” says Anne Zachariassen.

The shorepower facility for container ships is expected to be completed in 2026.

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