Kiel has widened access to shore power for ships calling at the German Baltic port, completing an infrastructure roll-out that now enables ferries and cruise vessels to draw clean electricity instead of running engines at berth.
The port can now supply seven ships at once, a scale few other European ports can match. The upgrade comes as shipping companies step up their use of shore connections to cut fuel consumption and emissions during layovers.
Kiel’s managing director, Dirk Claus, said demand from operators is growing rapidly, with more than 120 cruise calls plugging in last year. “Seven seagoing vessels can now be supplied with green shore power at the same time in the port of Kiel – including three cruise ships,” he said.
Shore power has become a key plank of European ports’ climate strategies, with EU rules requiring the largest terminals to offer connections by 2030.
Kiel, an early mover with its first installation in 2019, says it expects 80% of ship calls to use the technology by 2026.
