Gothenburg Harbor Explores Hydrogen Solutions for Sustainable Ship Powering

Image Credits: Port of gothenburg/Facebook

At the Port of Gothenburg, an innovative pilot project is wrapping up, showcasing a mobile hydrogen generator that provides power to ships while they’re docked. This initiative serves as a promising alternative in locations where traditional On-shore Power Supply (OPS) systems are either unavailable or impractical.

By supplying electricity directly to vessels at berth instead of relying on their engines, this approach can lead to a important drop in carbon emissions. The port of Gothenburg has been ahead of the curve, having implemented OPS facilities back in the early 2000s. Notably, Stena Line’s terminals for Germany and Denmark were among the pioneers globally in adopting shore power for maritime vessels.

Despite these advancements, many ports across Europe and beyond still grapple with establishing OPS systems due to high costs and inadequate electrical infrastructure—challenges that not every port can overcome.

This is where mobile hydrogen generators come into play as an exciting alternative. During this pilot program, a hydrogen-powered generator was linked with stena Line’s existing shore power setup at the terminal serving Germany.

For two weeks, this generator utilized green hydrogen to supply electricity to two docked ships: Stena Germanica and stena Scandinavica.

A representative from Stena Line expressed enthusiasm about exploring new technologies aimed at reducing emissions within shipping. They believe this trial demonstrates that even ports lacking established OPS infrastructure can pursue cleaner energy solutions.

Looking ahead to 2030, new regulations from the European Union will mandate all passenger and container ships use shore power while docked—a move projected by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) to cut over one million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

The Head of Innovation at Gothenburg’s port emphasized that hydrogen technology could help more ports comply with these upcoming regulations. He noted that tackling climate change requires collective action from all ports to minimize their carbon footprints. The port’s experience with OPS positions it well for supporting initiatives like this hydrogen trial while seeking practical solutions for those still lagging behind.

The mobile hydrogen generator used in this project was developed by Hitachi energy; its fuel cell integration came courtesy of powercell Group—an essential technology partner—and it operated entirely on green hydrogen supplied by Linde Gas.

According to Hitachi Energy’s head in Sweden, initial results have been encouraging. He highlighted how collaboration among companies like Stena Line and Linde Gas has been fruitful and pointed out that such generators have broad applications beyond just port operations—they could also be beneficial in construction settings or other industries transitioning toward clean energy sources.

Hydrogen is already making waves at the port of Gothenburg; there’s a refueling station for trucks powered by hydrogen along with trials involving work vehicles running on similar fuel sources.Interestingly enough, Skanska recently employed a comparable type of generator during an extensive expansion project at the same port site!

Research indicates that vessels docking within European Economic Area ports contribute between 6% and 7% towards total carbon dioxide emissions from shipping activities—a statistic underscoring why innovations like these are crucial moving forward.Reference: Port Of Gothenburg