Already four years ahead of the EU’s mandatory shore power regulation, the Port of Hamburg is offering comprehensive shore power facilities for cruise ships.

Hamburg is a European pioneer in the development of shore power infrastructure – having focused on cruise ships for many years. Infrastructure for inland vessels as well as sea-going cargo ships is currently being developed. Even ahead of the EU-wide obligation coming into force in 2030, supplying vessels with sustainably generated electricity from shore during their time in port is already playing a key role in the development of the Port of Hamburg’s infrastructure.

From 2026, all cruise terminals in Hamburg will be equipped with shore power facilities. This is already the case at the Altona and Steinwerder cruise terminals, and from next year the new terminal in HafenCity will follow, with its shore power connection scheduled for installation and trial operation during the year. To use shore power, each vessel must be individually certified and equipped with the necessary on-board systems.

The use of shore power is being further expanded in close cooperation with shipping line partners and port customers. Already today, the offering is being widely accepted and actively used by cruise operators. Given the ongoing technical developments in new and retrofitted ships, this trend is expected to continue, with new vessels increasingly being equipped for shore power as standard.

The Hamburg Port Authority has already concluded contractual agreements on shore power use with numerous cruise lines, including major operators such as AIDA Cruises, MSC Cruises, and TUI Cruises, as well as Norwegian Cruise Line, Phoenix Reisen, and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

Given the infrastructure already in place and the technical capabilities available, from 2027 the Port of Hamburg will generally expect all shore power-capable cruise ships calling at the port to make use of the service.