Shorepower

Cold Ironing (also: Alternative Maritime Power ( AMP), Shore Power, High Voltage Shore Connection ( HVSC ) or onshore power supply ( OPS) ) is a shore power supply for ships during the stay in the port to air pollution by emissions from shipping decrease.

History

The term cold ironing goes back to the time of the coal-fired steam ships. The heater had to heat the boiler to prevent cooling.

Development

Shore power supplies are already being used in shipyards to operate during maintenance work on the machines of the ship 's electrical system can. In ports is the one with the force since January 1, 2010 Directive 2005/33/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2005 amending Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the sulfur content of marine fuels, together with the MARPOL Annex VI goal to use marine fuels with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1 %, or to use an available port on the shore power supply system.

Technology

The establishment of a shore power supply is a not insignificant cost for the port operator as well as the ship's manufacturer. On land, transformer stations and lines have to be built to the quay, which are mostly brought on board over boom and one or more points to be connected. At junction on the quay of the tidal range and the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code must be considered.

For the power for cruise ships vary depending on the size of the ships and now are in the large units ( 3,000-4,000 passengers) by 10 to about 12 megavolt-amperes (MVA ), reefer ships and 6,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU ) and to 2,500 Reefer TEU, large container ships ( 6,000-12,000 TEUs) to 6.5 MVA and for large ro-ro ships and ferries at 2-4 MVA. The ferries of the demand for electrical energy is dependent on the number of refrigerated containers and trailers with refrigerated cargo, as they are often connected to the onboard network.

For the Port of Hamburg is a so-called " e-power barge " under construction, operated on the liquefied natural gas (LNG ) special Caterpillar engines over five generators of Zeppelin Power Systems with a peak power of 7.5 MW ( 50/60 Hz ) can be produced. This Barge of the hybrid port Energy can then be brought directly to the mooring of ships to be supplied. It is then no fixed shore power necessary because there is only one cable connection must be barge - ship. Also port operator in the Port of Hamburg are planning to use a power barge from 2015.

Use

A selection of ports that are already equipped with a shore power supply:

• Port of Gothenburg, Sweden; was the first port in the world with cold ironing, the conversion took place in 2000
• Port of Antwerp, Belgium
• Port of Los Angeles, United States of America
• Harbour Vancouver, Canada
• Port of Oslo, Norway
• Port of Lübeck, Germany

The advantage in agricultural power systems is the reduction of emissions and greenhouse gases, as well as noise pollution in the harbor. For the ship's operators also results in a reduction in fuel consumption. The disadvantages include different voltages and frequencies in the ports, emission reductions only in port and not at sea or in high costs for the installation of a plant in the port and on the ship.

Another disadvantage is the lack of international standards for the execution, so there is the part of the electrical engineering corporations different systems. Asea Brown Boveri calls his shoreside power supply system "High Voltage Shore Connection ( HVSC ) ," Siemens Energy Sector is called his " Siharbor " and at the U.S. Group L- 3 Communications company belonging SAM Electronics names his shore power " SAMCON ". The World Ports Climate Initiative, founded in 2008 ( WPCI ) attempts to create a uniform standard for shore power supply due to these problems.

A selection of ships on-board already equipped with a shore power supply:

• Amsterdam
• Costa Favolosa
• Norwegian Star
• Sea Princess
• Star Princess
• Color Magic
• Color Fantasy

Future Development

Since the majority of the ships, tankers, bulk carriers and container ships, charter ships, ie not to belong to the so moves cargo, these ships only a few years are often active in the same trading area. They are such as the many ports -use container ships chartered to another shipping line in the shipping area reign other voltages and power frequencies, if the ports at all provide facilities for shore.

Cruise ships are located mainly in the possession of the operator, but often change through the seasons due to the route and need each day to another port. In the summer they may be driving in Northern Europe in the autumn, winter and spring in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. Most are employed in the Caribbean and preferably run small island ports or even lie at anchor. Few of the ports have a land connection. Due to the low use and high investment costs only a few of these ports or islands will in future spend any money.

Only in ferries, it looks a bit different, they are often designed for the Ro-Ro facilities ( tailgate, front hatch, side doors, one-, two - or four-lane and one - or two-ply ) for a line, often for only a few different ports. Here the shore has great benefits, especially if the ports are located near seaside resorts. Because now in the ports of the Baltic and North Sea, the sulfur content must not exceed 0.1% in the fuel, the advantage is only slight, because until recently, the limit was 3.5 % and 4.5 %, ie higher by a factor of 35 to 45. The rules for the permissible for ships NOx levels are exacerbated further in the EU, ie also vanishes because the lever. With respect to the CO2 emissions arising minor differences, which is not so far been limited by regulations.

Therefore, it is anticipated that there will be little overall movement except in the ferry ride. It should also be considered where the electricity comes from. Diesel generators on ships have efficiencies of 40%, lignite power plants by 30-40%. With regard to the environmental impact of diesel generator cuts off a little better. The situation is different of course, when wind power or solar power is being used. This means you should be fair, use the mix for comparison.

Both the realization of diesel generators on the side of shipowners, shipyards and marine equipment supply is currently being investigated, which are operated with different fuels. Dual-fuel engines (Dual Fuel), which can be operated with diesel oil ( and heavy oil), and also with gas in order to generate power at the port. Then, the shipowner would be independent from the port and the ship would probably generate power cleaner than with the current electricity mix in Germany. The engine manufacturers now offer appropriate motors and check the options for retrofitting of existing. The relevant classification societies working on relevant regulations and they have already adopted. The Scandinavians and especially Norway have gone here and who already have appropriate fuel stations.

The above reasons have meant that it has been quiet around the electrical shore supply in other ports or on ships ( except ferries). The owners are concerned instead with the ballast water treatment that occurs soon into force retroactively.