BlueEco® Shore Power makes shipping ports quiet and green

Toxic fumes. The smell of diesel. The roar of engines. Anyone who’s spent time in a port knows how unpleasant, even harmful, it can be. Most all of these ships still run on fossil fuels, creating environmental problems while in port.

“When berthed, ships require electricity to support onboard operations. This power is generally provided by auxiliary engines that emit CO₂, SOₓ and NOₓ, which affect local air quality and ultimately the health of port workers and nearby residents. The same holds true for noise pollution,” explains Husebø.

BluEco® Shore Power provides an onshore power supply system to ships at berth, eliminating the need to operate polluting auxiliary engines.

“As an alternative to onboard power generation, vessels can be hooked up to the local electricity grid. This is what our solution does. We allow ship operations to proceed uninterrupted without any negative side effects,” says Husebø.

BluEco® Shore Power consists of a control system, switchgear, transformers and frequency converters. The solution transforms voltage and frequency according to the needs of the ship and ensures a stable power supply.

“The main challenge is that the voltage and frequency on ships differ from each other and are outside the normal range of what the main power grid delivers,” says Husebø. “Our solution provides correct, stable voltage and frequency to ships in a reliable and robust system.”

BluEco® Shore Power comes in a compact, turnkey container that saves port space, simplifies installation and enables relocation if necessary.

BluEco® Shore Power solves the long-time problem of emissions and noise in harbours. By using the solution, shipping vessels at berth can be almost as inconspicuous as sailboats. When renewable energy is used to power the local electricity grid, the sustainability profile of vessels at berth increases even more.

The solution also helps to cut costs by reducing fuel consumption and the need for engine maintenance. “Feedback from our customers suggests that vessels can save substantial operating costs. One customer told us that they see a 50 per cent cost reduction,” says Husebø.

Moreover, BluEco® Shore Power improves automation and optimisation with features such as remote monitoring, automatic invoice documentation and historical data for climate reporting.

While the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and others are requiring the shipping industry to reduce its carbon footprint, many shipowners are seeking ways to benefit from burgeoning green maritime technology.

“The is an extremely large market. All the ports in the world will need to offer shore power in the future, as shipowners increasingly prefer it,” says Husebø.

To his point, the market is comprised of some 5 500 container ships that pull into over 900 ports worldwide. These figures do not account for other types of vessels, such as cruise ships.

Blueday Technology has delivered its BluEco® Shore Power system to over 80 ports in Europe since 2016. In addition to shipowners, the company targets public and private harbour owners.

“Norway’s strong maritime tradition and government funding to expand shore power has made us the world leader in this field. In fact, we recently signed a letter of intent with the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. This shows the industry’s confidence in us,” he concludes.