by Lloyd's List

11 September 2024 (Lloyd's List) - HUTCHISON Ports ECT Rotterdam is to offer shore power at its Euromax and ECT Delta containership terminals for up to 5,000 vessels annually in 2030, aligning with the EU’s requirements for major ports in the region.

The move will reduce the port of Rotterdam’s CO2 emissions by 35,000 tonnes per annum, the port authority said.

Hutchison has signed an agreement with Rotterdam Shore Power, a joint venture between the Rotterdam port authority and utility Eneco, for the construction and operation of shore power facilities.

The companies expect first vessels to connect to shore power by 2028, according to a press release.

Hutchison Ports set a net-zero target by 2050 validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative, while the Rotterdam port authority set a near-term target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% by 2030, a target also validated by SBTI.

Rotterdam’s CO2 emissions totalled 22.6m tonnes in 2022.

The EU’s Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation requires certain ports in the Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T) to provide shore power by 2030.

TEN-T ports that averaged more than 100 port calls from containerships above 5,000 gt over the last three years must supply shore power for at least 90% of the total number of port calls of boxships bigger than 5,000 gt.

There are around 320 ports as part of the TEN-T, including Rotterdam, Antwerp-Bruges and Hamburg.