VANCOUVER: Port Metro Vancouver is making a green-friendly, energy saving move by agreeing to expand the use of “shore power” for berthed vessels at its container terminals, the port has announced.
An investment of US$11 million, jointly funded by the Canadian federal government and the British Columbia port, will extend the kind of shore power currently available only for cruise liners to include the container vessels that dock at the Deltaport and Centerm terminals.
Shore power technology is environmentally beneficial because it allows vessels to draw power from the local electrical grid rather than use their diesel engines while they are in a port.
Each ship connection to shore power is estimated to avoid greenhouse gas emissions of 75 tonnes.
A side benefit for people in communities near the port will be a reduction in noise pollution as the auxiliary engines of container vessels run quite loudly.
If all goes to plan shore power operations are expected to be operational at the two container terminals by March 2017.
