The Galveston Wharves, together with Carnival Corporation, CenterPoint Energy, Royal Caribbean Group, Shell Trading (US) Company (“Shell”) and Texas A&M University at Galveston, will work toward potential solutions to develop environmentally beneficial shore power at the Port of Galveston through a non-binding memorandum of understanding, according to the company's release.
The agreement outlines the parties’ intention to develop a project timeline and specifications, as well as cost estimates and proposed agreements, for a system to deliver shore power to vessels docked at the port. Shore power allows vessels to plug into an onshore electrical source for onboard power instead of using auxiliary diesel-powered engines, which produce emissions.
Royal Caribbean Group is outfitting its new Galveston cruise terminal for when shore power becomes available for the Oasis-Class Allure of the Seas. The ship will homeport at the new cruise terminal opening Nov. 9.
Carnival Cruise Line, another major cruise line that calls Galveston home, also has pledged that any of its ships regularly assigned to homeport at Galveston will be capable of connecting to shore power once it is made available.
The new Carnival Jubilee, scheduled to homeport in Galveston in 2023, will be equipped with shore power capabilities. The ship will run on clean-burning liquified natural gas (LNG), making it the first cruise ship homeporting at Galveston to have this energy technology.
As a top-50 U.S. cargo port and fourth most popular cruise port in the U.S., the Port of Galveston had almost 1,000 ship calls in 2021. Through Green Marine, a voluntary environmental program for North America’s maritime industry, the port is researching and implementing new programs like shore power for lasting environmental benefits.
The Port of Galveston is the fourth most popular cruise homeport in the U.S. The port also leases and maintains a wide range of cargo facilities on the deep-water Galveston Ship Channel, which is ranked among the top 50 busiest U.S. cargo waterways.