Malta has inaugurated its shore-side power supply facility in the Grand Harbour, marking a milestone as the first port in the Mediterranean to offer this technology to berthed cruise ships. The launch, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, follows a successful eight-month test and will allow up to five vessels to receive power from the local grid simultaneously.
This translates into a significant reduction of environmental pollution that will benefit nearly 17,000 local inhabitants, with a target of reducing the polluting impact by 90% by 2030.
Reduction of emissions with an electrical ground connection
In a practical demonstration, the Valletta power grid supplied electricity to the MSC World Europa during its stay in port, enabling the complete deactivation of its engines and, as a result, the elimination of direct emissions emissions, improving air quality in the area. During a visit, Captain Stefano Battinelli guided the Prime Minister through the impressive 22-deck ship, which operates on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In addition, Michele Francioni, MSC Cruises’ director of energy transition, presented to the Prime Minister and other Maltese dignitaries the company’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in its maritime operations by 2050.
“Shore power is crucial to our decarbonization strategy and is implemented in most of our fleet to eliminate local emissions and improve air quality in the ports where we operate.”
Francioni explained.
This effort is aligned with future European Union regulations, which will require all cruise ships to operate with shore power by that date. all cruise ships to operate with shore-side power supply by that date. The infrastructure installed in Malta, capable of generating up to 64 megavolt-amperes at various frequencies, will charge for the use of this energy at commercial rates without subsidies, ensuring a sustainable and economically viable operation.
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Source and photo: safety4sea
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