{"id":4230,"date":"2026-02-18T11:24:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T10:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/?p=4230"},"modified":"2026-02-18T16:37:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T15:37:00","slug":"power-barges-supply-solution-for-vessels-ports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/power-barges-supply-solution-for-vessels-ports\/","title":{"rendered":"Electricity on the water: electric barges for ships in port"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ports <\/strong>are now at the heart of the energy transition<\/strong> in maritime transport<\/strong>, in a context marked by increasingly ambitious climate targets <\/strong>and growing regulatory pressure on ship emissions<\/strong>. The electrification <\/strong>of port operations <\/strong>through shore-side electricity (SSE) <\/strong>is progressing steadily, but there remains a technological gap in the supply of electricity <\/strong>to ships at anchor<\/strong> or berthed at quays <\/strong>without access to the electricity grid<\/strong>. In this scenario, the article <\/em>\u2018Tools to assess from different perspectives the feasibility of power barge solutions to supply electricity to vessels\u2019<\/strong><\/em><\/a> addresses this challenge by proposing a methodological framework to assess the feasibility of power barge solutions<\/strong> as a flexible alternative for reducing emissions <\/strong>in port <\/strong>and offshore environments<\/strong>.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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International shipping activities consume about 300 million tonnes of fuel<\/strong> annually, relying on fossil fuels<\/strong>, representing approximately 1,076 million tons of CO2<\/sub><\/strong>.  The world fleet is powered mainly by marine diesel engines<\/strong> for both propulsion and auxiliary loads, fuelled by marine fuels. Heavy fuel oil (HFO)<\/strong> is the dominant fuel in international shipping, powering main ship engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in recent years, policies, and legislation, mainly focusing on environmental sustainability<\/strong>, have pushed international shipping <\/strong>toward the process of its decarbonization<\/strong>. Regulatory bodies are pressing on the maritime world by adopting ambitious targets and by introducing initiatives that will facilitate the transition to a sustainable future<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One important aspect in the decarbonization efforts of the shipping industry<\/strong><\/a> is the provision of electric energy to vessels at port<\/strong>, which is already a mature technology. Shore Side Electricity infrastructures<\/strong> are not only continuously multiplying, covering more and more port facilities, but also tend to become mandatory for certain ship types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, FuelEU<\/strong><\/a> states that the container ships<\/strong> and passenger ships<\/strong> will be required to use cold ironing<\/strong> (on-shore power supply or equivalent zero-emission technology) with the requirement from 2035 and onwards that vessels <\/strong>generally are no longer allowed to pollute when berthed at ports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In ports, ship emissions<\/strong> are of increased concern<\/strong>, especially for SOX<\/sub>, NOX<\/sub>, and PM for the local population, as well as CO2<\/sub> at a local level. The term “Cold Ironing”, or Shore-Side Electricity (SSE)<\/strong>, or Onshore Power Supply (OPS)<\/strong>, refers to an electrical power supply system<\/strong> that replaces onboard generated power while a ship remains docked at the port. Thus, the vessel’s hotel-related emissions <\/strong>are eliminated locally and reduced globally, depending on the energy mix <\/strong>of the shore supply, while also addressing noise and vibrations produced by auxiliary engines<\/strong> when vessels are docked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While SSE<\/strong> is gradually adopted in many ports, the provision of electric energy<\/strong> to anchored vessels <\/strong>has not been investigated, mainly due to the unavailability of technological solutions and the lack of financial incentives. However, the necessity of limiting emissions at anchorage exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On average and depending on the ship size<\/strong>, ships spend between 4 to 6%<\/strong> of their operational time<\/strong>, around 15-22 days<\/strong> per year, waiting at anchor outside ports<\/strong> before being given a berth, producing gaseous emissions such as CO2<\/sub>, SOx<\/sub> or NOx<\/sub> while running auxiliary engines and boilers, which consumes up to 10-15%<\/strong> of marine fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an example of innovative solutions to provide electricity to ships at anchorage area, or moored at quays where there isn\u2019t access to the port\u2019s power grid, the innovation project BlueBARGE<\/a><\/strong> addresses the design, development, and demonstration of an optimum power-barge solution <\/strong>to support offshore power supply to moored and anchored vessels, limiting local polluting emissions and global GHG footprint, following a modular, scalable, adaptable, and flexible design approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BlueBARGE<\/strong> introduces a novel hybrid concept<\/strong> that combines the higher energy density<\/strong> of lithium (Li-ion) batteries with the innovative Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) solution<\/strong>, which introduces increased safety and lifespan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inverters, power distribution units and interfacing systems will be crucial for the power-barge alternative<\/strong> design and promoted solution, covering approximately the 20% of the available barge space considering only a single level of containers, along with other barge utilities, such as additional mooring and berthing equipment. The remaining 80% (approximately) will be covered by power supply<\/strong> modules, as containerised units. The design follows a modular and scalable approach to support different use cases, ship types<\/strong> and power requirements<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The different alternative designs are assessed in a framework as a two-step loop<\/strong>. First, the ranking and assessment of alternative designs<\/strong> is conducted against predefined Key Performance Indicators, and then an optimization<\/strong> toolkit refines the evaluation of the designs by providing optimal sizing options from the point of view of the service and operation. Finally, the promoted selection is studied following a detailed cost-benefit analysis<\/strong>. The following paper<\/a> presents this assessment framework in detail and its possibilities to be used in assessing similar solutions or products designed to provide electricity to vessels offshore as their main use case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n