An Introduction to Shore Power

Cruise ships berthed at the Breakwater District at Ogden Point

Let’s begin with the basics, shore power or shore supply is the provision of shore side electrical power to a ship at berth while its main and auxiliary engines are shut down. Shore power eliminates the air pollution associated with consumption of that fuel, as well as reducing noise.


Factors that need to be considered when determining the viability of shore power include:

  1. Shore power is generated in a cleaner manner than shipboard power
  2. The shore side power can provide enough reliable energy to allow the vessel to shut off its engines
  3. The ship needs to be in port long enough to make it worthwhile to “plug in” – it can take up to 45 minutes after docking and before leaving to facilitate the process of connecting shore power and shutting down engines
  4. A critical volume of ships calling into the port need to be shore power capable
  5. The cost of power per KwH and the cost of installation must be low enough to incentivize ship owners to plug in

The land-based source for shore power may come from grid power from an electric utility company, but there is also a possibility for an external remote generator. These generators may be powered by diesel or renewable energy sources such as wind or solar. However, to install a shore power station, it takes a sufficient source of power to sustain it.

Provided the shore power is generated through clean energy, it can completely eliminate any emissions associated with running diesel engines.  If the power is not clean, it simply moves the emissions to a different location.


So, why is there not shore power at the Victoria Cruise Ship Terminal?

One of the biggest reasons is that the terminal does not currently have access to enough power to adequately support a full-size cruise vessel.  The terminal has shore power in place for the Cable Innovator, which has significantly lower power demands than most of the vessels calling to the terminal. For larger vessels with thousands of guests and crew, the individual power demand, or hotelling power requirement, is higher.

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