The Port of Barcelona has announced that its first Onshore Power Supply (OPS) for ferries is now operational at Grimaldi Terminal Barcelona, on Sant Bertran wharf.
This OPS supplies 100% renewable electricity daily to the ferries connecting Barcelona with the Balearic Islands, allowing them to turn off their engines, preventing emissions and noise.
The entry into service of the OPS for ferries completes the first phase of the Nexigen plan for wharf electrification, involving an investment of over €200 million (US$215 million), which will make it possible to cut emissions from port activity by 47%.
Just like the BEST terminal’s OPS, officially opened last summer, which is the first to be installed in a container terminal in a Mediterranean port, the Grimaldi Terminal Barcelona OPS is operating in a pilot phase to provide data and experience regarding supplying electricity to ships.
The OPS was set up in coordination with Grimaldi Logística España, while Trasmed, the Spanish shipping company of the Grimaldi Group, has adapted its vessels Ciudad de Palma and Ciudad de Sóller to make them compatible with the system. The ships now connect and stop their engines during their calls at the Port of Barcelona.
The OPS, manufactured by Vinci Energies in France, combines a fixed installation, which adapts the frequency and voltage of the electrical current to the specific needs of each ship, with a mobile system manufactured by Shore Link in Estonia that makes it possible to connect the system without interfering with dock operations.
The current system allows a single ship to be connected, but the installation has been designed to be easily expandable so that two vessels can be connected simultaneously at the two docking points on Sant Bertran wharf. The system cost €3.5 million (US$3.8 million) and was partly financed through the Sustainable and Digital Transport Support Programme under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
“When we talk about decarbonising port activity, we are thinking about the climate emergency, but above all, we are thinking about the quality of life of the people around us. The Grimaldi Terminal Barcelona OPS allows us to continue moving forward with the Nexigen plan to improve the air quality of our surrounding area and make port activity more sustainable,” stated President of Port of Barcelona.
In parallel to the entry into service of the two pilot projects, progress is being made building a new electrical substation from which a new medium-voltage network will be deployed throughout the port area, including an underwater pipeline to connect the supplies of the Energy wharf and the Adossat wharf, essential for electrifying the cruise terminals.
The final target of the electrification of the Port of Barcelona wharves is the improvement of air quality around the Spanish port area.
