Yara and NG3 to collaborate on shore power development

Norway’s Yara Marine Technologies (YMT) is to work with NG3, a French shore power connection specialist, in the development of shore-to-ship power systems. The move follows a recent announcement from the EU Parliament that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships on berth will be banned in EU ports by 2030.

Similar plans have been announced by several European ports already, with a target date of 2025. In China, it is already compulsory for cruise ships to use shore power when on berth for more than three hours in emission control areas. The EU regulation will apply to ships of 5,000gt and more, calling at EU ports. The nine-year timeline is likely to require both the introduction of shore power and possibly also batteries.

“We used to do shore power projects on ships some years ago,” explained Aleksander Askeland, chief strategy officer at YMT, “but the market was too slow. Now, however, with new regulation and grants supporting shipowners’ shore power investments, we are back in the business of shore power. Together with NG3, we are ready to take on new orders.” Askeland described the EU’s move as a major step for the industry. “It will cut emissions tremendously,” he said, “both GHG emissions but also air pollution, like black carbon, SOx and NOx, saving thousands of lives, cleaning up the air in our cities.”

NG3’s automatic plug-in shore power connection systems are already in operation on the Color Line ferries, Color Fantasy and Color Magic, operating between Oslo and Kiel.