Taking the hardline approach to shore power

Starting from next season, diesel cruise ships not switching to green power from the shore power facility will face a more expensive bill.

”We chose to lead the way when we established shore power for cruise ships and now we choose to take another step forward in creating the right incentives to connect to the facility and receive power,” said Thomas Haber Borch, CEO of the Port of Aarhus.

”It is crucial for the environment that we reduce local pollution and we want to contribute to that.”

Carrot or stick

The Port of Aarhus inaugurated its shore power facility – Denmark’s first – in the summer. 

It said that since the shore power facility opened nearly 40% of cruise ships have connected to the facility, but it wants uptake to be much better.

The port’s new fee model imposes an additional charge of 0.75 DKK per gross ton on cruise ships calling at the cruise ship quay in Aarhus and not connecting to the shore power facility resulting in an additional fee ranging from DKK 50,000 ($7,300) to DKK 75,000 ($11,000) per cruise ship.

The port has said that is prepared to lose cruise ships which opt-out of Aarhus due to the new fee model.

”We want to drive this development also at the European level, and we do so with our new fee model, making it cheaper to be green and more expensive to be black,” said Mr Haber Borch.

He added that the new fee model has been created at the same time as an ongoing dialogue with the shipping companies and it has been well received.

The Port of Aarhus said the funds from the fee model, which comes into effect on 1 January, will be earmarked for new initiatives aimed at green transformation and sustainability.