PORT OF KIEL builds two more shore power plants

SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG has commissioned Siemens AG to build two shore power plants in the East Port. The construction project, worth €17 million, includes a 50/60 Hz shore power plant for cruise and ferry ships, as well as a 50 Hz shore power plant for ferries. Upon completion, up to six ships in the Port of Kiel will be able to be supplied with green electricity simultaneously starting at the end of 2023.

(Kiel) Following a Europe-wide tender, the contract for two new shore power plants was awarded to Siemens AG last week. Siemens AG emerged as the winner from the negotiation process with a pre-qualification competition. “Siemens has been a strong partner in the past regarding shore power. The most economical offer this time also came from Siemens. We look forward to collaborating again!” emphasizes Dr. Dirk Claus, Managing Director of SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG. The award to Siemens for the shore power plant at the East Port is part of a shared success story: the existing shore power plants in Kiel at the Baltic Sea/Sweden Quay and Norway Quay were also built by Siemens AG. “I am very pleased with the trust placed in us by the Port of Kiel and the order to install the third and fourth Kiel shore power plants at the East Port. With the type and scope of the facility, it is not only one of the largest in Europe, but PORT OF KIEL is once again leading the way in sustainability among German seaports,” says Lars Nürnberger, spokesperson for the Siemens branch in Kiel. The total project costs for the shore power infrastructure at the East Port amount to €17 million. Construction is planned to begin in the fall of this year, with commissioning expected a year later in 2023.

Two plants with up to three supply options

The construction project at the East Port includes two shore power plants with capacities for the simultaneous supply of up to three seagoing vessels. The first of the two shore power plants is designed to supply up to two ferry or cruise ships and connects four berths at the East Port to shore power. It has a capacity of 16 MVA and can supply cruise and ferry ships with a frequency of 50 or 60 Hz and a voltage of 6.6 kV or 11 kV. The second shore power plant, with a 50 Hz grid frequency, is exclusively designed for RoRo ships and supplies two berths with a voltage of 6.6 kV or 11 kV up to a maximum capacity of 5 MVA. In total, the facilities at the East Port can then supply up to three ships simultaneously with shore power.

Emission-free future

The expansion of shore power infrastructure is one of the prioritized projects of PORT OF KIEL. The Port of Kiel has long pursued a clear sustainability strategy aimed at climate neutrality by 2030. In addition to the company’s own transition to sustainable energy sources and innovative climate protection solutions, the port aims to create incentives for shipping companies to reduce CO2 emissions at the quay with the shore power infrastructure. “Shore power is a key component of our sustainable orientation. With the supply infrastructure for six ships, we hope to connect about 80 percent of the ships to the power grid during their layover starting in 2024/25,” says Claus. In addition to the CO2 savings, supplying ships with shore power during their layover also leads to a drastic reduction in noise and pollutant emissions. Even though there has never been a corresponding exceedance of limit values in Kiel, it is a positive side effect for the port city.

Photo: © Port of Kiel