Cold ironing on the Antwerp waterfront

The scheme complements the sustainability strategy expressed in the Italian company’s fleet, whereby nine are already fitted for ‘cold ironing’ in addition to the 16 ships currently in operation plus 12 under construction specified with battery packs. By 2026, when the Antwerp installation is due to be ready, Grimaldi plans to have 38 vessels incorporating alternative marine power (AMP) equipment, allowing link-up to the shoreside grid.

Constituting the first such facilities in Belgium for deep-sea shipping, the investment will initially provide two fixed shore power connections with a total 5MW capacity at Antwerp Euroterminal (AET), primarily for Grimaldi’s latest ro-ro and con-ro tonnage. By allowing ships’ generators to be shut down while alongside, greenhouse gas (GHG) and noxious emissions will be curtailed and noise reduced.

The arrangements entail a capital cost in the range of EUR25m to EUR30m ($27.3m-$32.7m), towards which the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) has granted a EUR4m ($4.4m) subsidy.

The zero-emission credentials of the project are implicit in the intention to draw on ‘green’ energy, primarily using electricity produced by three wind turbines on the terminal site feeding a battery energy storage system. Extra capacity will be yielded by solar panels on the roof of the facility’s multi-level garage for import and export vehicles, while emplacement of a further two windmill turbines is foreseen.

The proactive approach on the part of both shipping operator and port is reflected in the fact that, although the EU obligation to provide shore power for container vessels begins in 2030, it is not applicable to con-ro and ro-ro ships.

The project is to be executed by HOPaS (High-voltage Onshore Power as a Service), a technology and service consortium comprising Techelec, Yuso and Whitewood. The Belgian combination will go on to run the future onshore power solution. The AET complex forms part of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, which is committed to extending shore power to other segments of its operations, including cruise vessels from 2026 and the largest containerships by 2028.

Such is the Italian organisation’s integrated service network that AET is one of 24 Grimaldi terminals around the world. A highlight of the current fleet development programme is the innovative G5 class of multipurpose vessel, six of which were ordered from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), and the last of which is entering service this year. Conceived from the outset with high-voltage shore connections, each of the series can load 4,700 lane-metres of rolling freight, 2,500 car-equivalent units (CEUs), and 2,000TEU containers. Antwerp is a linchpin in the ships’ North Europe/West Africa liner-type schedule.