Port of San Diego doubles shore power capacity

The Port of San Diego is ramping up its efforts to improve air quality at the port by doubling the capacity of ships that can use shore power.

Namely, two cruise ships can now simultaneously use shore power in San Diego rather than running their diesel engines while at berth. Previously, only one vessel was able to do so.

On Friday, 13 of January, the Disney Wonder and the Insignia were the first two cruise vessels to use shore power at the same time in San Diego.

“Having two shore power outlets at the cruise ship terminals will result in at least a 90 percent overall reduction of harmful pollutants (while the ships are docked) such as Nitrous Oxides (NOx) and Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The port is also meeting California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations that require essentially all cruise ships calling on California ports to use shore power beginning January 1, 2023,” the port said.

The port invested $4.6 million to complete this project and worked with Cochrane Marine, LLC to purchase equipment and manage the construction, coordination, testing, and commissioning. San Diego County-based Baker Electric, Inc. installed the port-provided electrical equipment and removed, replaced, and terminated medium voltage cables.

The port installed its first shore power outlet at the cruise terminals in 2010.

Doubling shore power at the cruise terminals is among many electrification efforts underway in support of the port’s Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS).

Other initiatives include:

• Installation this year of two all-electric Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 Mobile Harbor Cranes (first all-electric cranes to operate in North America) to replace the diesel crane at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal;
• The first all-electric tugboat in the U.S. will be in operation on San Diego Bay this year in partnership with Crowley. The Port is building a shoreside charging station to support the eTug;
• A new shore power system at the National City Marine Terminal;
• An emissions capture and control system (otherwise known as a bonnet) from Clean Air Engineering – Maritime, Inc. (CAEM), which will be able to connect to ships that are not shore power capable and reduce their emissions while at berth.
• Transitioning all cargo handling equipment at the port and 100 percent of short-haul cargo trucks that serve the port’s terminals to zero emissions by 2030
• Infrastructure improvements including a 700 KW solar PV system with storage and microgrid at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal; and
• Innovative technology along Harbor Drive to smartly manage cargo truck traffic passing through Barrio Logan and National City.