ZERO EMISSIONS
Interferry leading the ‘charge’ for shoreside power
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“For ferries to meet incoming legislation for the reduction of greenhouse gases ... it’s crucial that the electricity grid network in ports is expanded quickly...” “In some cases, we’re seeing that it could take up to 10 years or more for this to happen.” He added that the investment required will be “massive”. “It’s a huge number and will require multiple partners — governments, ferry owners, ports, and power companies — to come together to address.” In addition to the cost, other challenges include finding space at terminals to accommodate the infrastructure as well as planning for disruptions to operations during the construction phase. And, of course, consideration must be given to the amount of load required and whether the local power grid will be able to manage the surges that are experienced during rapid charging periods. While these challenges are not insurmountable, they will require careful planning and close collaboration with all partners and, as previously noted, resolution and action will take time. In the meantime, ferry companies are
still moving toward the path of net-zero emissions. “A lot of vessels are being built with hybrid systems — diesel/ electric, LNG/electric, and hydrogen/ electric — so when the energy becomes available at the terminal, we’ll be ready.” Corrigan noted that battery energy storage systems are continually evolving with increased storage capacity, and lower costs and weights, leading to his belief that “the transition will happen, it’s just a matter of when. Ferries have been plugging into shore to run diesel generators for some time now — the key going forward is to be able to access much bigger loads that would be required for rapid charging a bank of batteries.” He went on to say that using alternative fuels like hydrogen and even ammonium is being considered when it comes to generating low-emission power in the meantime. During this transition period, Corrigan pointed to LNG as being
Image courtesy of ForSea
ith a worldwide push toward a greener future, the shipping industry is working hard to improve their carbon footprint. When it comes to the electrification of vessels (the gold standard for zero emissions), ferries are at the forefront of developing technological advances. For the sector to achieve their goals however, shoreside infrastructure must keep pace. Hence, Interferry is reaching out to ports, governments at all levels, power companies and other stakeholders to provide awareness and engage in discussions to help speed up efforts. “For ferries to meet incoming legislation for the reduction of greenhouse gases by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, it’s crucial that the electricity grid network in ports is expanded quickly,” said Mike Corrigan, CEO of Interferry, an international trade association representing more than 260 member companies in over 40 countries. Given the size of the global ferry fleet (15,400 vessels with a combined gross tonnage of more than 31 million gross tonnes), cutting air emissions from this sector alone would make a significant impact on total greenhouse gases. Addressing air emissions, however, must be done without jeopardizing the 1.1 million jobs the industry supports globally (2019 numbers), the $60 billion contribution to the world GDP, or, most importantly, the almost 4.3 billion passengers (about the same as the airline industry) who depend on the service as a critical lifeline. In emphasizing the need to accelerate the development of Onshore Power Supply (OPS), Corrigan outlined some of the challenges. “For power and hydro companies to extend transmission lines to terminals, a significant amount of infrastructure will be required,” he said.
Multiple partners — ports, ferry owners and operators and governments — are required to be able to address the issues and challenges of createing shoreside power infrastructure. May 2022 — PACIFIC PORTS — 17
