ABB to enable shore-to-ship power at Swedish port of Gothenburg

Tuesday, Jun 29, 2010

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won a substation order to supply shore-to-ship power at the Swedish port of Gothenburg. As part of the project, ABB will collaborate with Processkontroll Elektriska to provide the necessary infrastructure to supply electrical power to a large number of Stena Line vessels using the port. The new installation will be jointly owned by Stena Line and the port of Gothenburg.

ABB will be responsible for the design, engineering, supply, and commissioning of the shore-side substation, which will supply vessels with 3 MVA, 11kV power. It will be the biggest installation of its kind, capable of providing power at both 50 Hz and 60 Hz. Equipment to be supplied includes power transformers, frequency converters, medium-voltage switchgear and monitoring and safety equipment. The project is scheduled for completion in 2010.

During a 10-hour stay in port, the diesel generators of a single cruise ship can burn 20 metric tons of fuel and produce 60 tons of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to the total annual emissions of 25 average-sized European cars. These emissions can be mitigated by supplying the ship’s infrastructure with onshore power. Port authorities and ship owners, spurred by emerging legislation in many parts of the world are seeking ways to reduce emissions as part of the global effort to mitigate climate impact.

In addition to reducing local carbon dioxide emissions, the use of shore-to-ship power in preference to onboard diesel generators also helps to mitigate sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions. It also facilitates the reduction of low-frequency noise and vibrations and allows maintenance of diesel engines while the ship is at berth.

“ABB is uniquely positioned to offer customers turnkey shore-to-ship power solutions by combining its shore-side power offering with onboard products and systems,” said Oleg Aleinikov, head of ABB’s substations business. “Our wide offering in both power and automation enables us to deliver optimized solutions to port authorities, ship owners and power utilities.”

ABB provides electrical infrastructure both onshore and onboard installations required for shore-to-ship power supplies. This includes system components such as frequency converters, high- and medium-voltage switchgear, transformers, and control and protection systems. ABB also provides integrated systems and services ranging from the main incoming substation to retrofitting vessels’ electrical systems to receive shore-based power.

ABB delivered the world’s first shore-to-ship power supply to the port of Gothenburg in 2000, and in 2004, the port received the ”Clean Marine Award” for environmental responsibility from the European Union, for reducing in-port emissions of noise and airborne pollutants.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.

Source: ABB