Copenhagen scales up shore power for cruise ships in push for green operations

June 3, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

A new onshore power facility at the Oceankaj cruise terminal in Copenhagen, Denmark, has been officially inaugurated, marking the next step in the maritime energy transition in Northern Europe.

As disclosed, the wheels of the EU-funded ‘coordinated supply of onshore power in Baltic seaports’ project under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport program were set in motion on June 2.

According to the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), the onshore power will be able to provide electricity to cruise ships docking at Oceankaj and Langelinie terminals and to ferries docking at Søndre Frihavn.

It is understood that the vision was implemented with 20% co-financing from CEF, with the total EU grant amounting to €11 million. The total project is valued at €52 million, with the funds allocated to three participants like so: €6.6 million to Copenhagen, €1.4 million to Aarhus, and €2.3 million to Stockholm, Sweden.

The facility is set to enable ships to cover their electricity demand via green electricity while berthed in the port, rather than keeping onboard engines running.

This is anticipated to lead to major reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air pollutants and noise in the area. At the Copenhagen port, the estimates are that nearly 18,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions equivalent can be saved each year through 17,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent saved for cruise ships at Oceankaj and Langelinie terminals and 1,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent at Søndre Frihavn.

As informed, across the three Baltic ports, the project will save nearly 29,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.

“The inauguration of the shore power facility for cruise ships in Copenhagen is a proud moment for the Copenhagen Malmö Port and a significant milestone in transitioning the sector to environmentally friendly technologies,” said Barbara Scheel Agersnap, CEO of Copenhagen Malmö Port.

“This initiative is fully aligned with our broader sustainability strategy, which includes operating the terminal without fossil fuels and aiming to achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2025,” she further highlighted.

As part of the opening ceremony of the facility, which is hailed as the biggest in Europe, AIDA Cruises’ liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled cruise vessel AIDAnova became the ‘first ever unit’ to power up with shore-side electricity during its stay at the port.

The development now makes Copenhagen the 14th cruise port in Europe where AIDA ships are able to use shore power, the company has shared. This is seen as ‘incredibly important’ for AIDA Cruises since the maritime industry player reportedly has 73 calls by five of its vessels planned for the Danish port this year.

The Baltic ports that are part of the CEF project are strategically connected via the Scandinavian–Mediterranean corridor, a north-south axis extending from the north of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, through Denmark, Germany, and Austria to the Mediterranean coast of Southern Italy and Malta.

According to CINEA, the network is frequented by passenger ships, with more than 800 calls made every year, in addition to providing regular roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry (RoPax) connections between the European mainland and peripheral Scandinavia.

Given the current state of affairs in the maritime industry, taking into account both emissions and the efforts made to slash them, introducing eco-friendly technological solutions has formed the bedrock of Europe’s sustainability efforts.

For ports, sustainability-oriented developments have represented a ‘lifeline’, especially since more than 90% of them in Europe are located in urban areas with their passenger terminals operating in city centers. The resulting emissions have further underscored the impact of climate change and the need to adapt.

A report from October 2024 showed that at least 64% of European ports experienced climate-related challenges, which was an increase from 47% in the previous year. What is more, 72% of ports said they were working on boosting the resilience of existing infrastructure, with 86% integrating climate adaptation into their portfolio.

Nevertheless, to be ‘genuinely’ fit for the future, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) noted in May last year that ports would need at least €80 billion in investments in the next decade.