Peru's Port of Callao Becomes South America's First Port with Shore Power, Securing $400 Million Investment from DP World

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The shore power system at the South Terminal of the Port of Callao, operated by DP World, has been commissioned, allowing container ships at berth to shut down their auxiliary engines and connect to the onshore grid powered by renewable energy. The system provides a maximum power supply capacity of 7.5 MVA per vessel, meeting the electricity demands of large container ships calling at the terminal.

The shore power system utilizes 100% renewable electricity certified under I-REC, making it the first port terminal shore power facility in Latin America to offer such power to container ships. The first vessel to connect to the system was the CMA CGM PLATINUM, a container ship with a capacity of 13,100 TEUs and a length of 335 meters, built in 2025 and designed with methanol-fuel-ready specifications.

Currently, approximately 80% of vessels calling at Berth 3 of the South Terminal are already equipped with shore power connection capabilities. Of the 7 vessels operating on the Peru-Asia route and calling at the terminal weekly, the first batch of 4 vessels is expected to connect to the shore power system.

Once operational, the system is expected to reduce emissions by more than 6,300 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually, with an average reduction of approximately 30 tonnes per vessel call. During the period when vessels are connected to shore power, auxiliary engine fuel consumption decreases correspondingly, and emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter are expected to be reduced by more than 90%.

The shore power facility is part of the $400 million "Bicentennial Terminal" expansion project at the Port of Callao. Completed in 2024, the expansion extended the terminal's berth line to 1,050 meters, enabling simultaneous berthing of 3 ultra-large container vessels and increasing the terminal's annual handling capacity to 2.7 million TEUs. DP World's port emission reduction program at the Port of Callao has a total investment of $105 million, which also includes 36 electric terminal tractors, dedicated charging infrastructure, and electrification of yard cranes.