MADRID, 31 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Endesa X, Endesa’s energy services subsidiary, will be the first company at a national level to offer electricity supply services to cruise ships in the Port of Cádiz, through an OPS (‘On-shore Power Supply’) facility that will be located at the Alfonso XIII Pier, in the capital’s commercial dock, the company reported.
With the start-up of this project, for which Endesa plans to invest some 6.8 million euros, the Port of Cádiz will become the first port in Spain where cruise ships will be able to connect to the electricity grid.
In addition, this Endesa X project for the Port of Cádiz has been selected to receive a grant of 2.7 million euros from the Sustainable and Digital Transport Support Program in competitive competition, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan -funded by the European Union- NextGenerationEU.
For the construction and operation of this facility, the Port Authority of the Bay of Cadiz has initiated public information on the processing of an administrative concession to the company Endesa X with the publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
The energy company indicated that the objective of this project, in line with the APBC’s sustainability strategy, is the significant reduction of polluting emissions and the complete elimination of noise associated with the operation of conventional ship engines.
The CEO of Endesa X, Davide Ciciliato, pointed out that the energy transition in maritime transport is “crucial” to meet climate challenges.
“That is why at Endesa X we seek to offer viable alternatives to this sector that is so important for generating wealth in Spain, so that it can make responsible use of resources and minimize its ecological footprint,” he said.
The system that Endesa X will develop in the Port of Cadiz consists of connecting ships to the terrestrial electrical network during their stay in port, so that the auxiliary motors they use to keep their transfer pumps, refrigeration systems , lighting, emergency equipment, etc., can be kept off during the entire time that the ship remains docked for the loading and unloading of goods or people.
According to calculations prepared by Puertos del Estado, the reduction in emissions achieved after substituting on-board electricity generation, produced by burning fuel, by connecting the ship itself to the grid is drastic: 96% NOx, 8% SOx, 94% particulates and 64% CO2.
In the specific case of this project, the reduction will increase even more since Endesa X will supply the ships with electricity with a certificate of renewable origin.
To do this, the energy company will install a 16 megawatt (MW) modular OPS station that will transform the voltage and frequency of the network to adapt it to the needs of the ship. This equipment will be mounted inside containers, which will speed up its installation and take up less space.
Likewise, the OPS station will also have ship connection equipment, a mobile device with an articulated arm, similar to a crane, which will allow the cable to be connected to the ship quickly and safely.
