The current strategic plan of the Port of Barcelona has two major objectives: to halve its emissions by 2030 and to become a neutral port in CO₂ emissions by 2050. A large part of this involves the electrification of the docks, a project valued at more than 90 million euros and which is part of the Nexigen programme, with which Barcelona will decarbonize port activity. We spoke with the main person in charge of the project, Ana Arévalo, who holds the position of Energy Transition Manager at the Port of Barcelona. She announces that the first cruise ships will be able to connect from 2026: the MSC terminal will be the first to be electrified.
At what stage is the project?
It is a very complex process since, among other things, it requires the supply of energy from an electrical substation through a 220 kV high voltage line, as well as the installation of 240 kilometers of underground cable and the construction of 20.5 kilometers of pipelines. . In addition, highly complex infrastructures must be executed, such as the service tunnel that will be drilled between the Energia and Adossat docks. That said, last February we got access and connection to the Cerdà substation, which allows us to connect to the Red Eléctrica Española (REE) substation. For this we have to build an electrical substation within the port, a project that has recently been approved by the Port’s board of directors and is now pending approval by the Council of Ministers.
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When talking about plugging a boat into the mains, is it literal?
One could say, Yes. But it is a large socket with a highly complex connection. OPS systems ( onshore power supply ) to connect the ships to the general electrical network once they are docked allow adapting the current to the frequency and voltage that the ship needs. Once this transformation has been carried out, the boxes in which the ship is physically connected through large cables are placed on the dock. These are so heavy that a crane system is often required to handle them.
How much energy do they need compared to domestic consumption?
According to the report from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving, the average annual electricity consumption per home is 3,487 kilowatt hours (kWh). It has been calculated that the annual consumption of three electrified cruise terminals will be around 338,000 MWh. Equivalent to the consumption of 105,000 homes for one year.
Will it be green energy?
Yes. The commitment of the Port of Barcelona is that the energy supplied to the ships is with a 100% renewable certificate of origin. The contract that we make with the electricity marketers will have this condition.
Is it possible to meet the Fit for 55 commitment deadlines?
The Port of Barcelona is working on different fronts to achieve the goal of reducing its emissions by 55% before 2030 and to be an emissions-neutral port by 2050. To this end, we are promoting specific projects that are part of the various measures established by the EU to achieve Objective 55: infrastructures for alternative fuels, FuelEU Maritime to promote the use of new fuels for maritime transport, renewable energy, energy efficiency, electrification of docks.
“The Port of Barcelona is working on various fronts to reduce emissions by 55% before 2030”
The Port is doing its part, but it will be necessary for the rest of the administrations and actors involved to also get involved in this change, which is already underway.
What are the main stumbling blocks you are encountering?
The dock electrification project poses many challenges in different areas. On the one hand, they are technical challenges, since we are developing a completely new infrastructure and that we must adapt to the specificities of each port. There are few references worldwide that help in some areas, but technical development is currently in full evolution. On the other hand, there are regulatory challenges since we must advance within the Spanish electricity legislation. The electrical supply system to ships requires a regulation that adapts to this type of consumption. Let us not forget that facilitating the electrical connection to ships is an essential tool for the decarbonisation process of our ports and it would not make sense if the legislation did not accompany us in this objective.
When is the port expected to be 100% electrified?
During the next year the first container ships and ferries will be connected, and the first cruise ships will do so in 2026. We are working with the objective of having all the docks electrified by 2030. These are the Adossat, Prat, Costa and dock docks Sant Bertran. When all are in operation, we will eliminate the emissions of 66,000 tons of CO₂ and 1,234 tons of NOx.
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