en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Port of Pasaia in Spain has completed the installation of an Onshore Power Supply (OPS) system at the Gipuzkoa dock, providing berthed cargo ships with renewable electricity from the land grid, thereby preventing vessels from running their internal combustion engines for auxiliary services. The port authority collaborated with Iberdrola on this technical project aimed at reducing exhaust emissions and noise pollution from ships during loading and unloading operations.
Currently, roll-on/roll-off cargo ships used for transporting vehicles have been connected to this power source, with shipping company UECC set to become the first user of this infrastructure. Once the system is operational, ship machinery can be completely shut down while in port, directly eliminating the noise and vibration caused by diesel generators traditionally kept running to maintain auxiliary systems. Data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) indicates that such floating systems reduce noise pressure in port areas by 16 decibels, contributing to improved living conditions in towns adjacent to the dock industrial zone.
Izaskun Goñi, President of the Port Authority of Pasaia (APP), stated that the authority aims to increase throughput by 25% to 4.2 million tons by 2030, thereby combining commercial profitability with environmental management standards. Goñi believes that shore power infrastructure can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping to consolidate Pasaia as an ecologically sustainable port. Eduardo Lobato, Iberdrola's commercial representative for the Basque Country, noted that port electrification will be key to the maritime energy transition, enabling more efficient, cleaner, and more autonomous energy management.
The facility's budget received national public funding coordinated by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, with European subsidies guided by the "National Digital Logistics Support Program" coming from the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan supported by the EU's Next Generation fund, amounting to €1.9 million. This funding is included in a plan titled "Deployment of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) Technology and Decarbonization of Electricity Supply at the Ports of Pasaia, Vigo, and Alicante," aimed at amortizing the costs of these fixed facilities at other strategic seaports on the Iberian Peninsula.
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