Port of Grenaa goes all-in on shore power with the establishment of 18 megawatt
At the Port of Grenaa, we have chosen to go "all-in" on shore power. This means that we are upgrading our current supply from 2 MW to 18 MW in order to future-proof the supply of green power to e.g. installation vessels from the offshore wind industry and drilling rigs. We aim to take our share of responsibility for the green transition. Therefore, we will promote the transition from diesel to electricity by offering power solutions to our customers, but also by electrifying our own port operations", says Henrik Carstensen, CEO, Port of Grenaa.
Offshore wind farms require power
In 2020, the wind power industry association WindEurope reported a record-breaking investment in European offshore wind of DKK 196 billion. This is a development that Denmark is also part of, says Theis Gisselbæk, CCO at Port of Grenaa:
"Denmark is facing the establishment of several new offshore wind farms, including Hesselø Offshore Wind Farm - Grenaa Harbour's future neighbour in the Kattegat. It is therefore important for us to be able to offer shore power to installation vessels in connection with the establishment of these large offshore wind projects. Connecting installation vessels, drilling rigs and other vessels to shore power reduces CO2 emissions, but also on-board maintenance costs. Power generation is one of the most costly parts of operating offshore vessels, so being able to switch off the engine and connect it to power instead is a win-win".
Electricity infrastructure to be rolled out at the port
The 18 MW will be available at the port by the summer of 2021, after which work will begin on setting up a supply system to connect ships, rigs and the port's own electrically powered machinery via mobile shore power.
"We're going to put in shore power at our new port expansion. It's a no-brainer as it will be well suited for servicing offshore installations, stacking and testing Power-to-X technology. Afterwards, our other quays will be upgraded with shore power. We are looking into investing in shore power plant number 2 and we are ready to invest in more plants as soon as the need arises", concludes Theis Gisselbæk.
