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The company Iberdrola España completed the implementation of the Onshore Power Supply system, focused on providing electrical power to vessels, at the Kaputxinos pier within the Pasaia harbor.
Shore power technology for vessels in Gipuzkoa
This shore-to-ship power connection technology allows vessels to shut down their internal combustion engines while moored. The ships use renewable energy directly from the commercial grid for their cargo loading and unloading operations.
For this reason, the Pasaia Port Authority anticipates an improvement in the adjacent urban environment. The president of the port institution, Izaskun Goñi, detailed the commitment to environmental sustainability and the reduction of greenhouse gases.
Estimates from the International Maritime Organization confirm that this technology reduces local noise impact by up to 16 decibels. Residents of neighboring municipalities will experience a total reduction in the constant noise originating from heavy transport vessels.
In this way, the benefit is initially concentrated on the traffic of hybrid Ro-Ro vessels belonging to the shipping corporation UECC. These freighters transport rolling cargo and represent a central percentage of Gipuzkoa’s commercial activity.
Eduardo Lobato, commercial representative of the power company in the Basque Country, noted that the electrification of piers is fundamental to achieving clean energy management that is autonomous and efficient. Logistics operators reduce operating costs compared to traditional fuels and manage to mitigate the wear and tear of auxiliary machinery.
With this financial perspective, the project received direct support from the central administration through a 1.9 million euro grant awarded by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
The capital comes from the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan financed by the European Next Generation funds. This global initiative by the energy firm also includes similar deployments in the port enclaves of Vigo and Alicante. Likewise, the overall state investment seeks to consolidate a sustainable transport corridor along the entire peninsular coastline.
Source and photo: Iberdrola España