The offshore vessel “KL Sandefjord” owned by K Line Offshore AS being a 100% subsidiary of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd , is the first offshore vessel with the DNV GL class notation “Shore power”. The “Shore power” notation, verifies the design and installation of a vessel’s on-board electrical shore connection. When in port, the vessel can shut down its engines and rely on a shore based electrical supply for its needs at berth – so called “cold ironing”, the company said in its press release.
By tapping into an onshore electrical supply, vessels not only reduce their fuel consumption, but they also eliminate the associated emissions. This will have a marked improvement on the air quality in the port and surrounding environment, cutting PPM, NOx, SOx and reducing CO2, through the use of more efficient shore based electricity. In combination with renewable energy sources, it can even result in zero emission operation for the duration of a vessel's stay in port. On top of which it can free the engines for maintenance, and reduces wear and tear, and noise.
The DNV GL electrical shore connection class rules cover safety requirements for a vessel’s on-board electrical shore connection. The Shore power notation ensures a safe and efficient way of performing the connection and disconnection of shore power by verifying and checking the total system of the electrical shore connection, verifying compatibility between ship and port and provide recommendations for a well-defined future proof technical solution.