Shore power connection successfully inspected

The first of three sister vessels in Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet, Hanseatic nature, has been adapted to use shore power in a system that has now been approved by DNV. The cruise ship, which used green shore power during its latest port call in Kiel, can now hook up to shore power anywhere in the world where such an energy supply is available.

The Hanseatic nature is the second shore power upgrade in the cruise line’s fleet. The Europa 2 was adapted in 2020. Now, sister vessels Hanseatic inspiration and Hanseatic spirit will undergo similar modifications later this year. By then, four of the five cruise ships in the company’s fleet will be capable of plugging in to shore power.

Switching to shore power is complex. The Hanseatic nature, a small expedition cruise ship, requires a voltage of 690V in port, significantly less than many larger vessels. Therefore a transformer is required on board. The safety of the ship when using shore power is only guaranteed following inspection and approval by a suitably qualified technical body, in this case DNV. 

Julian Pfitzner, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ CEO, commented: “We are delighted that the shore power system of the Hansatic nature has now been inspected. This brings us an important step closer to our goal of having the shore power systems of all new expedition ships approved.”

There are currently fewer than 30 shore power facilities available around the world. They are located at ports in the US, Canada, China and Europe, often far away from the routes that expedition cruise vessels often take.