Successful Rotterdam moveable shore power pilot

(Posted on 01/10/24)

In recent months, a pilot with moveable battery containers with shore power has taken place at the Steinweg Beatrix Terminal in Rotterdam. Vessels from Cargow shipping company have been successfully connected.

The pilot follows on from the experiment conducted on Parkkade in late 2019/early 2020. This time, vessels of the Cargow shipping company were connected. These vessels have a greater energy demand than required during the first pilot.

The pilot took place at an operational terminal instead of a public dock. The battery containers are from Zero Emission Services, known for the battery electric powered inland vessels. This pilot means a potential new revenue model with shore power for Zero Emission Services.

Market parties have tested and demonstrated their technology in these two pilots. The integration of the various technological components on the shore and on the vessel, as well as optimising the logistics behind the moveable concept, have turned out to be particularly significant.

The application of shore power supplied from moveable batteries is technically feasible and could become a technical alternative to a standard shore power connection. However, the price tag of such a project is higher than with a standard shore power connection and the expectation is therefore that this will only be used at locations where no electricity is available from the grid .

The pilot was partly financed by Government subsidies, from the Nationaal Samenwerkingsprogramma Luchtkwaliteit (National Air Quality Cooperation Programme). The aim is to improve the air quality in urban areas in particular.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority coordinated the pilot and, with the Municipality of Rotterdam, is now exploring the possibilities for broader applications of moveable shore power concepts. They are mainly considering locations where flexible concepts work better than fixed connections, or where a fixed connection is not yet available due to grid congestion on the power grid.