Tuesday, April 29, 2025 - 09:16 by ce-press
After a construction period of 22 months, the Cruise Port Rotterdam onshore power installation was officially opened on 31 March, 2025, on the Holland Amerikakade.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO Port of Rotterdam Authority, said: “After an intensive construction period, we are today taking an important new step in making the port of Rotterdam and the city more sustainable. Shore power for cruiseships is a crucial and necessary part of this.”
With the commissioning of this installation, Cruise Port Shore Power (CPSP) is staying ahead of European law, which stipulates that all cruise ships in European ports must use shore power by 2030.
The shore power installation was built by Danish company PowerCon in collaboration with Port of Rotterdam Authority, the municipality of Rotterdam, STEDIN, IGUS and project partners J P van Eesteren, Heijmans, Royal HaskoningDHV and Xylem on behalf of Cruise Port Shore Power.
In addition to the shore power facility, a 230m-long cable duct has been installed in the quay, along with a new type of connection vehicle. This provides a flexible connection point along the entire length of the quay and hence caters to all possible ship connection points. The shore power is generated by wind and solar.
The composite, flexible-use support vehicle is small and therefore easy to use. The cable duct ensures that there are no obstructions or disruptions from cables on the quay. The cooling system of the shore power installation, like the cooling system of the cruise terminal, is cooled using water from the river Maas. The installation involved installing a separate 1.5km sustainable electricity grid connection from Maashaven to Wilhelminakade.
Robert Simons, vice mayor and alderman for port & economy Rotterdam, said: “Cruiseships are a valuable source of income, and by connecting them to shore power, we are improving the air quality and reducing noise pollution. That is good for the quality of life and our economy. I am proud of this result and would like to thank everyone who worked towards this.”
In Rotterdam, people are working hard to make the city and port more sustainable. The shore power installation for cruiseships is a unique sustainability project realised at the interface of city and port. Innovation, planning, cooperation and safety were central to the realisation of the project.
The project was carried out while the cruise terminal was operational and cruiseships were docking at the quay on a weekly basis.
In the first month of shore power availability, 90 percent of cruise vessels actually connected.
