The Port of Barcelona has installed its first Onshore Power Supply (OPS) system for ferries at the Grimaldi terminal on Sant Bertran Wharf.
This milestone sets the stage for the system to become operational by January, enabling ferries docked at the city’s closest commercial wharf to switch off their engines and run entirely on renewable electricity supplied by the OPS. This transition will significantly reduce emissions and noise at the terminal.
“With the OPS for ferries we will not only make port activity more sustainable, but we will contribute to improving the quality of the city’s air and reducing noise where we can have the most impact, at the docks closest to the city centre,” stated José Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona.
Developed by VINCI Energies Spain, a company with extensive international expertise in OPS projects, the system is being installed as a “turnkey” solution. It will initially provide 4MVA of power, expandable to 6.5MVA, and is engineered to adjust voltage and frequency according to the specific requirements of each vessel.
“This takes us one step closer to a zero-emissions operation of all our ferries that call at Barcelona. Both the Cruise and the ECO, vessels plying the routes to Italy, have a battery system allowing the engines to be turned off when the ships are at port. Thanks to this new infrastructure, the ferries of Trasmed, the company of the group that serves the market of the Balearic Islands, will also cease to produce emissions at the port,” commented Mario Massarotti, CEO of Grimaldi in Spain.
Before the OPS installation, civil engineering work was undertaken to extend the medium-voltage network to the terminal and connect the OPS infrastructure to the quayside. The installation is set to be completed by mid-December, with the arrival of a specially designed Cable Management System (CMS) to enhance flexibility in connecting various ferries.
In tandem with the OPS installation, Grimaldi has recommissioned its Ciudad de Palma ferry, which has been retrofitted to utilize the new system. This adaptation follows the agreement signed between Grimaldi and the Port of Barcelona in February 2022. Once operational, the OPS will facilitate daily connections, maximizing emission reductions.
Similar to the OPS system at the BEST terminal—the first OPS in a container terminal in the Mediterranean—the Grimaldi terminal OPS will operate under a two-year pilot phase. This trial will allow terminal operators and the Port of Barcelona to gain valuable insights into the requirements of this innovative system, advancing their shared goal of decarbonization.
The Grimaldi OPS project cost approximately US$3.9 million, partially funded through the Sustainable and Digital Transport Support Program under the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan. Over the next five years, with an investment exceeding US$209 million, the Port of Barcelona will implement OPS systems to electrify its key docks under the Nexigen plan.
This initiative includes not only installing OPS at the port’s primary terminals but also constructing a new electrical substation. A medium-voltage network will be extended across the port, featuring an underwater pipeline to connect the Energy Wharf and Adossat Wharf. This will enable the electrification of the cruise terminals.
