Worldwide, ferries transport 4.27 billion passengers and 373 million vehicles every year, according to trade association Interferry. With increasing passenger volumes, the ferry industry is under pressure to align with International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships.
Cutting noise pollution and emissions
The installation of ABB shore connection technology on three Corsica Line ferries using the Port of Marseille has cut the emissions and noise pollution there since 2019.
The technology allows the Paglia Orba, Jean Nicoli and Pascal Paoli ferries to use electric power for on-board operations while berthed, instead of being powered by their own on-board diesel-fueled auxiliary engines.
All three ships have been adapted to use ABB’s power compensation solution Dynacomp, which allows them to draw electricity from the Marseille grid while in port.
The solutions bring immediate decarbonization benefits to crew, passengers and city residents and help the Port of Marseille meet stricter emissions controls being applied in the marine sector. The port has been pro-active in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, being a founding member of the EU-funded Climeport project.
ABB shore connection technology enables the type of emissions-free ship power that regulators, ports and local residents increasingly demand.
Ludovic Amouroux, Project Manager, Corsica Linea
Further west, in Toulon, ABB has led a consortium providing shore-to-ship power connection for ferries and cruise ships.
The Port of Toulon, which handles more than 1.6 million ferry and cruise passengers every year, has committed to ABB Shore Connection technology to help achieve the ‘Zero-smoke stopovers’ plan of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. This aims to electrify the docks of Toulon, Marseille and Nice to enable emission-free stays for vessels.
Around 1,300 ferries and cruise vessels berth in Toulon every year, making the port central to the city’s attractiveness for business and tourism. Shore-to-ship power connections allow ships to turn off diesel generators during port calls. For shipowners, this means savings on fuel and maintenance costs while switching to cleaner and more sustainable energy. Cruise and ferry passengers, as well as local residents benefit not only from cleaner air, but also from less noise and vibrations generated when ships are docked.
The shore-to-ship power connection will eliminate more than 80 percent of pollutant emissions. It will also save 9,000 hours of vessels running on diesel annually. For the ferry activity in the city of Toulon alone, this adds up to a reduction in sulphur emissions equivalent to those of 50,000 cars in a year.
Hubert Falco, President of the Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis
ABB solutions are being used worldwide to help ports and ship owners meet the challenge of reducing their carbon emissions. Read more about the Port of Vlissingen in The Netherlands here, and Portsmouth International Port in the UK, here.
And you can learn more here about how ABB is decarbonizing the marine and port industry – from grid to propeller.
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