Finnlines and Yara Marine Technologies have signed a contract to install Yara Marine’s shore power solution on board three vessels. The turnkey solution will allow these vessels to connect to the local power grid when in port, switching to electricity rather than using auxiliary engines running on fuel. The installations, which are scheduled for completion in 2022, will help Finnlines eliminate shipboard emissions in port and thus reduce its environmental footprint.

The use of shore power by ships is particularly beneficial to portside communities, whose quality of life is impacted by concentrated emissions by numerous vessels in port, as well as the associated noise and vibrations from ship engines. Ro-ro vessels and passenger ferries are very suitable candidates for this technology due to their operational profile. As an early adopter of shore power solutions, Finnlines is following through on its commitment to meeting customer demands for more environmentally conscious services.

Thomas Doepel, COO of Finnlines, says: “Finnlines is committed to providing sustainable and responsible transportation options in the Baltic and North Seas. Our investment in smart technologies showcases our drive to reduce carbon emissions from our fleet and share our environmental performance with customers and stakeholders.

By equipping these vessels with a shore-to-ship connection, we commit to our goal of reducing harmful emissions and noise while at port. This has a direct impact on quality of life for those present in areas close to our ports.”

Shore power is largely viewed as a means by which the shipping industry can reduce its fuel consumption, meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations, and transit to Net Zero emissions – particularly if the shoreside connection is able to supply renewable energy. The recent signing of a joint commitment for the electrification of ports by 2028 by a number of government ministers and port authorities at the One Ocean Summit (held in France in February) demonstrates a clear industry recognition of shore power as a potential route to enable decarbonization targets while allowing for cleaner, lower-impact energy solutions for stopovers.

However, setting up shore power solutions can be technically challenging, particularly in cases where operators are using two or three different systems on board that are not compatible with each other. Yara Marine’s turnkey shore power solution is designed to provide an answer to this issue, thereby reducing the complexity of installation, and mitigating project-related risks, such as fleet-wide installations. In addition, Yara Marines’s top of the line after-sales and service capabilities ensure that customers will see both cost and time benefits for the lifetimes of their installations.

Aleksander Askeland, CSO of Yara Marine Technologies, says: “Yara Marine Technologies is keen to support cleaner and sustainable operations throughout the maritime industry. We look forward to working with Finnlines to provide solutions that will maximize benefits across the board. We bring our extensive experience in planning and executing multiple vessel installations to this collaboration, and will be managing their needs for the lifetimes of the shore power solutions through our global after-sales service organization.”