Siemens to build one of Europe’s largest shore power connections in Kiel
Port of Kiel, Germany has commissioned Siemens AG with the construction of two additional SIHARBOR shore power plants at Kiel’s Ostuferhafen, according to the company's release. The construction project with a total investment value of approximately €17 million comprises a 50/60 Hz shore power plant for cruise ships and ferries and a 50 Hz shore power plant for ferries. It makes it possible to generate the electricity ships need while they are in port using renewable energies on shore instead of diesel generators on board.
The new shore power connection will be one of the largest installations of its kind in Europe. After completion of the project at the end of 2023, the port of Kiel will be able to supply green power to six ships simultaneously at all of its major passenger, cargo and ferry terminals.
Siemens won the new contract following an EU-wide invitation to tender and a negotiation procedure with a preliminary qualification competition.
The construction project at Ostuferhafen includes two shore power plants able to supply up to three seagoing vessels simultaneously. The first of the two shore power plants is designed to supply up to two ferry or cruise ships and connects four berths at Ostuferhafen to shore power. It has a capacity of 16 MVA and can supply cruise ships and ferries 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 grid frequency of 50 Hz is designed exclusively for cargo and RoRo vessels and supplies two berths with a voltage of 6.6 kV or 11 kV, up to a maximum capacity of 5 MVA.
The expansion of the shore power infrastructure is one of the high-priority projects of Port of Kiel. It has long pursued a clear sustainability strategy aimed at becoming carbon neutral by 2030. In addition to its own transition to sustainable energy sources and innovative solutions for climate protection, the port also wants to use its shore power infrastructure to create incentives for shipping companies to save carbon emissions when their vessels are in port. In addition to CO2 savings, connecting ships to shore power while they are at berth also results in a significant reduction in noise and pollution.
