The Port of Kiel, Germany, has commissioned Siemens to construct two SiHarbor shore power plants in Ostuferhafen. The €17m (US$18.1m) construction project will comprise a 50/60Hz shore power plant for cruise ships and ferries, and a 50Hz shore power plant for ferries. The project will make it possible to use renewable energies to generate the electricity ships need while in port, instead of using 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 its major passenger, cargo and ferry terminals.
“Connecting ships to shore power has enormous economic and environmental impact. Ships save expensive fuel, new business models open up for port operators, and port staff and residents benefit from a significant reduction in noise and pollution,” explained Markus Mildner, CEO of Siemens eMobility. For Siemens, the contract includes execution planning, delivery, assembly, cabling and commissioning of all plant and structural components required for the operation of the shore power plants, the necessary structural, civil and hydraulic engineering work, and overall commissioning of the system.
Siemens won the new contract following an EU-wide invitation to tender and a negotiation procedure with a preliminary qualification competition.
“Siemens had already been a strong partner for us in an earlier shore power project. And once again, they submitted the most economical bid. We look forward to working with Siemens again,” said Dr Dirk Claus, managing director of the Port of Kiel. The new shore power plant at Ostuferhafen continues the collaboration between the two organizations – shore power plants at Ostseekai, Schwedenkai and Norwegenkai in the Port of Kiel were also built by Siemens.
The Ostuferhafen project 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 16MVA and can supply cruise ships and ferries with a frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz, and a voltage of 6.6kV or 11kV. The second system has a frequency of 50Hz and is designed exclusively for cargo and ro-ro vessels. It will supply two berths with a voltage of 6.6kV or 11kV, up to a maximum capacity of 5MVA.
“Shore power is a key part of our sustainability effort,” Claus added. “Beginning in 2024/25, we hope to use our supply infrastructure for six ships to have around 80% of all ships plugged in while berthed.”
