The Piraeus Port Authority (PPA), which manages the largest and busiest port in Greece, this week announced the first five shore power connection slots for ferry boats.
Another four slots at the nearby cruise ship terminal in Piraeus are also on the drawing board, part of the PPA’s promised efforts at “energy transition” and reducing carbon emissions.
The proposed ferry boats slots will reportedly be located in a portion of the commercial port already linked with the national grid, with the construction of necessary infrastructure eyed for early 2024.
Conversely, Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator S.A. (ADMIE) has still not achieved high-voltage power capacity at the slots proposed for cruise ships’ connection with the power grid.
Cosco-managed PPA has begun close cooperation with ADMIE, the national electricity distribution network operator (DEDDIE) and the independent power regulatory authority (RAE) to construct necessary high-voltage infrastructure throughout the port, with a portion of the ambitious project needing to be completed by 2030.
According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), more than 210 cruise vessels are expected to feature shore power connection capability by 2028.
