Port of Esbjerg harnesses offshore wind for shore-to-ship power
Denmark’s Port of Esbjerg recently inaugurated its first shore-to-ship power units, which allow docked vessels to run on renewable electricity from offshore wind turbines, instead of using onboard diesel generators.
The shore-to-ship units, using Honeywell technology to estimate the vessels’ carbon footprint, can simultaneously power multiple large vessels, helping to reduce CO2, SOx and NOx emissions, as well as reducing noise pollution, Honeywell noted.
The goal is to help reduce carbon emissions at the Danish port by 70% by 2030 in line with the country’s climate targets, and contribute towards the International Maritime Organization’s ambition to halve greenhouse gases from international shipping by 2050, compared with 2008 levels.
“Given the size and complexity of our operation, there was no simple, off-the-shelf solution for our green transition. We worked with Honeywell to fully customise a system that can monitor energy consumption and emissions, as well as pinpoint potential improvement opportunities,” explained Port of Esbjerg CEO, Dennis Jul Pedersen.
Honeywell said that Port of Esbjerg can optimise its energy and carbon footprint in real time and that in the future, it will be able to prioritise financial resources where the most significant CO2 reductions can be made.
“The Port Esbjerg project is setting a new benchmark for ports globally on how to use fully integrated technology to help meet ambitious sustainability goals,” said Lionel Caillat, general manager, Honeywell Building Technologies.
In the next phase of the project, which was announced in September last year, Port of Esbjerg and Honeywell will monitor and manage water consumption and heating, as well as the emissions performance of businesses around the port. The plan also features investments in electric vehicle technology and hydrogen-powered cranes. The target is for all port vehicles to be powered by electricity by 2025.
