On-shore power plant at Kiel's Ostseekai inaugurated

On-shore power plant with 16 megawatts of output can supply two ships in parallel.
After a successful integration test, "AIDAsol" will be connected in regular operation.
Stena Line ferries have been using shore power at the Schwedenkai since the beginning of the year.
Savings of approx. 8,000 tonnes of CO2 through the Ostseekai on-shore power plant.

(Kiel, 16th June 2021) An important step for climate protection in the port of Kiel. At the Ostseekai, the Minister of Economics, Transport, Labour and Technology and Tourism of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Dr Bernd Buchholz and Kiel's Lord Mayor, Dr Ulf Kämpfer, officially commissioned one of the most powerful on-shore power plants in Europe together with the CEO of the Costa Group, Michael Thamm and Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at the PORT OF KIEL. After the successful integration test, the "AIDAsol" was the first cruise ship to be connected to the shore power supply system on 16th June. With 16 megawatts, the facility can supply a cruise ship at the Ostseekai and the Stena Line ferries at the Schwedenkai in parallel with electricity produced from hydropower in a climate-neutral way. Minister Buchholz: "Today we are taking a big step in making maritime shipping in Schleswig-Holstein even more eco-friendly." The state of Schleswig-Holstein supported the construction of the 13.5 million euro plant with about 9 million euros and successfully lobbied at the federal level for a reduction of the EEG apportionment on shore power. "With this investment, which now enables shore power supply at a total of three locations in Kiel, the seaport should also be very far ahead in international comparison. The plant will save thousands of tonnes of CO2 and thus relieve the people in the state capital considerably," said Buchholz. This showed once again that ecology and economy can be well balanced, he added." After all, we want to stay in the game as a cruise metropolis, but we want to do it with the best environmental conditions - and that's exactly what we have here."

A good three years ago, on 26th April 2018, the State of Schleswig-Holstein, the State Capital City of Kiel, the PORT OF KIEL and the Costa Group signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the joint promotion of eco-friendly cruise tourism in the seaport of Kiel on board the "AIDAluna" at the Ostseekai. This set the course for the further intensification of cooperation with the aim of sustainably developing the maritime infrastructure, the economy and tourism in northern Germany.

Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group: "Sustainability, regional value creation and innovation are the focus of our actions. I am firmly convinced that this form of cooperation will also have a signal effect on other ports in Europe." The on-shore power plant at the Ostseekai has been tested and certified with the "AIDAsol" since 17th May. The ship is to receive shore power in regular operation in Kiel with immediate effect.

The new on-shore power plant has also been supplying the Stena Line ferries with green electricity on a daily basis since the beginning of the year. This saves about 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year at the Schwedenkai alone. For every cruise ship that is supplied with shore power, there is an additional saving of about 45 tonnes of CO2 on average at the Ostseekai. In addition, since May 2019, the Color Line ferries at the Norwegenkai have been connected to the shore-side grid, resulting in a further 3,000 tonnes less CO2 per year. Mayor Kämpfer: "All inner-city terminal facilities now have a shore-side electricity connection. The Scandinavian ferry companies are leading the way in the use of electricity and I am very pleased that with AIDA Cruises the first cruise shipping company is now also using shore power in Kiel. In this way, we already cover the majority of the energy requirements of the ships berthed in the inner city area, emission-free and climate-neutral. We want to continue along this path and are already planning another on-shore power plant for the Ostuferhafen.”

Shore power for ferries and cruise ships is an important step for the PORT OF KIEL on the way to becoming a climate-neutral port. Dirk Claus: "I would like to thank the State of Schleswig-Holstein and the EU for their financial support for the construction of the on-shore power plant. My thanks also go to the Federal Ministry of Economics for reducing the EEG surcharge. In doing so, economic efficiency can be achieved so that the plants are actually used and thus contribute to climate protection.” In addition to the economic challenge, shore power also poses a technical challenge. "I would also like to expressly thank the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), which has paved the way for more climate protection with the pilot plant at the cruise terminal in Altona and through cooperation on the subject of the EEG surcharge," Dirk Claus continues: "I am pleased that the on-shore power plant has also been designed in an architecturally outstanding way. My thanks go to the architects, construction companies, façade builders and lighting designers." In its first full year of operation, the port of Kiel plans to supply 70 cruise calls with shore power.

Siemens supplied the core electrical and electronic elements of the on-shore power plant. It essentially consists of converters, medium-voltage switchgear, automation and an energy monitoring system. "We are very pleased that with the on-shore power plant at Kiel's Ostseekai and at the Schwedenkai, we are now commissioning the first system that can supply two large seagoing vessels with electricity from shore in parallel. The electrical connection of on-board and shore power is not trivial. Our proven SIHARBOR shore power system not only ensures that the different grid frequencies on board and on shore are automatically synchronised with each other, but also coordinates here for the first time the parallel supply of the two ships taking different outputs," says Lars Nürnberger, head of the Siemens branch office in Kiel. The mobile device for transferring the power cables to the ship comes from Stemmann-Technik, a company of the Wabtec Corporation. The cable system can be used flexibly in conjunction with the connection boxes on the terminal site and is thus suitable for cruise ships of different sizes and designs.