Barcelona first Med port to have shore power

The first onshore power supply system (OPS) in the Port of Barcelona was opened on Wednesday 17 July and will supply vessels with 100% renewable electricity while berthed in port. It is the first onshore power supply system in a Mediterranean port.

The first phase is a pilot that will last two years and will cut CO2 emissions from ships arriving in the port by 2,500 tonnes per year.

The OPS is the first to be deployed under the EUR200 million Nexigen plan which will enable all the wharves at the Port of Barcelona to be electrified.

Having the first OPS in a container terminal in the Mediterranean demonstrates the commitment and efforts that the Port of Barcelona is dedicating to decarbonising port activity and improving air quality by fighting climate change”, stated Port of Barcelona President Lluís Salvadó. “This is a giant step forward, the first along the path that we started with the Nexigen plan and which will allow us to move towards a more sustainable future.”

Clemence Cheng, Managing Director at Hutchison Port Holdings Europe and Chairman of Group Sustainability Committee, emphasised that “the OPS represents a quantum leap towards our commitment to reduce BEST's carbon footprint by 80% by 2030 and become an emissions-neutral terminal in terms of operations by 2040, a vision that is now even closer with the official certification of our carbon footprint.”

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