Canada’s Port of Prince Rupert activates shore power to reduce ship emissions
The Port of Prince Rupert, on Canada’s Pacific coast north of Vancouver, has expanded the shore power capacity at DP World Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal, achieving a milestone in its path to emissions reduction.
Through a partnership between the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA), DP World and BC Hydro, new electrical infrastructure has been installed at the terminal’s north berth and upgrades were made to the south berth. Full commissioning of the shore power system now allows ships at both berths to shut down their main generators and rely on specially equipped dockside power connections while their cargo is being loaded and unloaded.
The ability to plug in large container vessels to shore power while at either terminal berth is forecast to reduce carbon emissions by almost 30,000 tonnes annually, as well as other air emissions related to vessel exhaust, such as nitrogen oxides and particulates, from the local airshed.
The $7.6m project is part of PRPA’s Carbon Reduction Plan, which aims to reduce the port’s greenhouse gas intensity by 30% from 2018 levels by the year 2030 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The project partners received funding of $2.2m from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Challenge Fund.
“Shore power capacity is a critical component of the Port of Prince Rupert’s carbon-reduction strategy and aligns with global efforts to transition the shipping and marine industries to renewable, clean-energy sources,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of PRPA. “Offering this infrastructure at our port enables customers to make more sustainable choices about how they transport their cargo and the benefits it will have in reducing their overall carbon footprint.”
