Port of Gothenburg hydrogen generator enters final phase

The Port of Gothenburg has announced that its pilot project to supply

electricity to docked ships using a hydrogen generator is now in its final

phase.

The method is expected to pave the way for reduced emissions in other ports

where conventional shore power connections are not feasible.

Powering ships with electricity instead of using their conventional engines

while docked can save large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. The first

facilities for connecting ships to shore-side electricity, known as On-shore

Power Supply (OPS), were installed at the Port of Gothenburg in the early 2000s.

At that time, the OPS-facilities at Stena Line’s terminals for Germany and

Denmark traffic were among the first of their kind in the world.

In such ports, alternative solutions are needed. Mobile hydrogen

generators, like the one currently being tested at Stena Line’s Germany

terminal, may offer a promising way forward, reported the port.

As part of a two-week pilot project, a hydrogen-powered generator has been

connected to Stena Line’s existing shore power facility at the Port of

Gothenburg. Using green hydrogen as fuel, the generator has supplied electricity

to the vessel Stena Germanica and Stena Scandinavica while docked.

The hydrogen generator being tested at the Port of Gothenburg was developed

by Hitachi Energy, whose technology partner PowerCell Group supplies the

generator’s power modules and expertise in fuel cell integration. During the

test, the generator used 100 per cent green hydrogen supplied by gas producer

Linde Gas.

“At Stena Line, we are eager to collaborate to test new technologies aimed

at reducing emissions from our industry,” said Anders Peterson, Group Head of

Port Development & Engineering at Stena Line.

“This project shows that there are alternative solutions for ports that

lack the infrastructure for shore power.”

In 2030, a new EU regulation will come into effect requiring container and

passenger vessels to use OPS while at berth. According to a study by ICCT, this

is expected to reduce emissions by just over 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide

per year. According to Viktor Allgurén, Head of Innovation at the Port of

Gothenburg, hydrogen could help ports meet these requirements.

“Since the climate is a shared concern for us all, it is also in everyone’s

interest that as many ports as possible around us succeed in meeting these

demands.

“With our extensive experience in OPS, we are pleased to partner with Stena

Line to serve as a testbed for this new technology, which may very well prove to

be a viable solution for many ports.”

Last September, the Port of Gothenburg inaugurated its brand new

144,000-square-metre port terminal.