Valenciaport has put out to tender the construction of the first of two planned electrical substations, which are expected to allow ships docking in Valencia to turn off their engines and connect to the electricity grid, thereby ceasing to consume fossil fuels and emit CO2 into the atmosphere.
The new infrastructure is expected to make the Spanish port an even more effective site by decreasing the costs for ships calling at the port.
This infrastructure, which has a planned investment of €11 million (around US$12 million), will supply electricity of green origin to the first OPS (Onshore Power Supply) electrification project that will be located at the Transversal de Costa-MSC pier.
Therefore, the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) seems to make progress toward becoming a zero-emissions facility. The goal of the European port is to switch from an eco-efficient port to a totally green port by 2030, which is 20 years ahead of the European Green Pact.
The new electrical substation is supported by the European Commission through the Connecting Europe Mechanism Committee or CEF Committee (Connecting Europe Facility) which finances the project EALINGWorks Valenciaport: Preparation of the electrical grid of the Port of Valencia for Onshore Power Supply, to prepare the electrical network of the port for the supply of OPS to container ships, ferries and cruise ships in the new terminals of the Port of Valencia.
“Valenciaport is working to electrify the entire port area, thanks to this award, the substation will provide green energy to the docks closest to the city, which will be the first to be electrified and this will benefit the surrounding residents by reducing gas emissions and noise,” stated Federico Torres, head of Ecological Transition of the PAV.
