Holland America retrofits embrace shore power

The connectors will allow the ships to draw on land-based electrical grids when docked in port, enabling them to turn off all engines, hence reducing noise and emissions while improving energy efficiency.

“Our ships call at the world’s most beautiful destinations, which is one reason we prioritise environmental responsibility,” said Orlando Ashford, president, Holland America Line. “These ships can now achieve very low emissions while in ports where shore power is available.”

ABB provides a single interface for all shore power systems, despite the lack of standardisation that has hindered uptake of the technology. Primary distribution voltage can vary from 440-11,000v, while load requirements can range from a few hundred kilowatts in the case of car carriers to more than 12MW in the case of passenger or reefer ships.

While ISO 80005-1 covers design, installation and testing of high-voltage shore connections, an international standard for low-voltage systems has yet to be published.

The solution for Holland America Line features a simplified switchover process, enabling faster transition between ship and shore power sources. Previous solutions have required up to 20 minutes’ preparation before power transfer.

“Over the last 13 years ABB has developed and installed shore power connections for a wide variety of ship types and has extensive know-how across a spectrum of power and switchboard configurations,” said Juha Koskela, managing director, ABB Marine & Ports. “We have also reached the point where the full installation can be done during the normal operation of the vessel.”