Cruise ships will be able to cut emissions at a new shore power facility in Europe.
Nidec ASI has signed a €12m contract with Maltese company Excel Sis for the shore power project at the Port of Valletta in Malta. The project will make it possible for cruise ships moored at the five berths to draw from the island’s energy grid without having to keep their onboard diesel engines running, reducing SOx, NOx, CO2 and PM emissions.
“This innovative electrical supply system for cruise ships moored in the port will reduce emissions by over 40 tons a year and lower noise pollution, a benefit to both tourists and the local community,” said Nidec ASI.
Complex project
The company was awarded the supply of power and high-tech systems and all related engineering, including transformers, converters and the cable management system. The unique nature of every cruise ship required the development of a specific solution for each to be able to connect the vessel with the energy grid, and Nidec ASI chose a cable management system capable of meeting the needs of the different ships.
Dominique Llonch, CEO of Nidec ASI and chairman of Nidec Industrial Solutions, explained: “Thanks to our expertise in the areas of automation and battery storage systems, we are able to electrify the entire port, from cranes to internal transport by using charging stations installed in microgrids within the port area. Times such as these are ideal for promoting infrastructural transformation which is also made easier by lower traffic levels.”
Nidec ASI is currently completing the electrification of the berths in Genoa’s Port of Prà. It has also installed its systems in the Port of Leghorn in Italy and several other ports.
