Kenyan shore-based power study

The project, conducted by energy and marine consultancy ABL Group, is part of the Green Ports Policy introduced by the Kenyan Ports Authority to move all vessels at the port from onboard generators to shore-based power.

“A study conducted in 2021 indicated that 25 per cent of vessels’ emissions are generated whilst stationary at port,” explained Aimee Besant, energy storage lead at ABL Group.

“Using electrical power from shore brings significant reductions in emissions. However, this study went one step further in exploring the opportunity to generate the electricity from 100 per cent clean local solar PV resources, creating an entirely green contribution to the shore power system,” she added.

ABL has explored whether a 5-10 MWp solar plant could supply enough shore-based power to meet likely demand in a cost-effective way compared with heavy fuel oils.

“This project reflects the scale of the opportunity for other ports around the world to explore the installation of shore power generated from their local green energy resource,” said Aimee Besant.

The study also assessed the feasibility of additional renewable power sources and energy storage.