Port Metro Vancouver is considering the benefits of becoming an independent power producer.
The initiative would help it achieve its goal of electrifying port industry to reduce emissions from ship traffic and boost its competitive advantage.
Port Metro Vancouver COO Chris Badger told Business in Vancouver the first full season of shore power availability for cruise ships docking at Canada Place was “very successful” and was a valuable source of information on the electrification of port facilities.
He said a key concern for the port is that the power supplied to ships now is interruptible – it’s available to the ships if the grid has excess power.
Power to cruise ships was consequently interrupted several times during the summer.
An unnamed container terminal and shipping line has also expressed interest in providing shore power to container vessels.
The port is therefore exploring ways to provide more and consistent power in the future.
Badger said container ships pose different challenges than cruise ships, which is why simply “plugging in” to the grid might not be the solution.
Cruise ships use about six megawatts (mW) of power, but there are fewer of them in Vancouver’s port and they only dock here during the summer when the grid has more excess capacity. Container ships use the port year-round.
According to Badger, refrigerated cargo on container ships is a “huge part of our export market” and requires a constant supply of power.
“You don’t want to end up in situation where the ship is plugging into shore power and that shore power ends up being dirty power or interrupted so often that the vessel is constantly having to use its own power.”
According to Badger, the port is considering a range of options for the electrification of port operations, including plugging into the grid, harnessing battery technology to provide power to ships during peak periods and using natural gas to generate its own electricity.
“The future is in electrification. We’re seeing it in transportation. We’re taking it very seriously in seeing what that means for the port and doing projects like this will enable us to come up with a good strategy for the future.”
Badger added that the port will examine opportunities where it can use its own systems and equipment to generate additional power.
“Whether that means being a net contributor to port industry or back to the grid, these are very early days and certainly not something we would be able to answer yet.”
Badger said the port is developing its shore power strategy this year.
Work could begin on the project in 2011.
Prince Rupert Port Authority’s (PRPA) Fairview container terminal will be the first Canadian port to offer shore for container ships when construction of the $3.6 million project is complete in early 2011.
The federal government provided $2.5 million for the project, with the province contributing $200,000 and the port authority and its partners, CN Rail and Maher Terminals, kicking in $900,000.
“Since the opening of the Fairview container terminal in October 2007, it has been a leader. It has led the industry in volume growth and efficiency, with the highest productivity levels of the west coast of Canada,” said PRPA president and CEO Don Krusel. “It continues to lead in environmental stewardship as the first container terminal in Canada to offer shore power options.”
The port authority and its partners designed and built the terminal with infrastructure and a distribution line for shore power. The connection will be made through a Cavotec dock connector pit and include a cable-management system providing electrical power direct to the ships. BC Hydro will supply power through a 69-kilovolt distribution line.
The project is expected to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4,000 tonnes per year when the terminal reaches full capacity by enabling container ships to shut down their engines and connect to the port’s electrical grid.
At two vessel calls a week, shore power will reduce ship fuel consumption by 650 tonnes per year.