Heerema Marine Contractors’ largest crane vessels, Sleipnir and Thialf, have officially switched from using their engines to using shore power.
The successful commissioning of the shore power project is the result of a partnership between Eneco, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, and Heerema with the support of the Gemeente Rotterdam. Shore power will supply Sleipnir and Thialf with sustainable energy that will originate from wind turbines located on the headland nearby or from another renewable source should it be required.
The Shore Power connection has a 20 MW capacity, which is the energy equivalent of around 15,000 homes. As the vessels turn off their engines when connected to shore power, virtually all emissions and particulate matter is prevented because no more marine gas oil or LNG in Sleipnir’s case will be used.
This also contributes to emissions reduction as turning off the engines on these vessels when moored in the Port of Rotterdam for repair and maintenance saves 15,000 metric tons of CO2, 20 metric tons of particulate matter, 5 metric tons of sulfur, and a significant amount of nitrogen. This is comparable to the annual emissions of 5,000 diesel cars, according to Heerema.
