The Port of Barcelona has launched its first Onshore Power Supply (OPS) system at Hutchison Ports’ BEST container terminal.
This system, the first at a container terminal in a Mediterranean port, enables ships to be supplied with 100 per cent renewable-origin power, allowing them to switch off their engines while in the Port of Barcelona and thereby cut emissions.
The OPS is the first to be deployed under the €200 million ($218 million) Nexigen initiative, which aims to electrify all of the wharves at the Port of Barcelona, lowering emissions from port operations.
According to the port, this is a pilot effort that, if fully operational, will provide firsthand evidence to better understand the demands of this pioneering service and will help Port of Barcelona customers to become more sustainable as we collaborate to cut carbon emissions.
Pere Aragonès, the President of the Generalitat (Catalan autonomous government), stated: “The OPS is a fundamental project for the future of Catalonia. With the entry into operation of the first charging point for ships in a container terminal we are again demonstrating Catalonia’s leading role in Europe and in the Mediterranean.”
Port of Barcelona President, Lluís Salvadó, stated: “Having the first OPS in a container terminal in the Mediterranean demonstrates the commitment and efforts that the Port of Barcelona is dedicating to decarbonising port activity and improving air quality by fighting climate change.”
In March, the Port of Barcelona received the first OPS substation of the future connection network for ships with the Nexigen project.
