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The Cavotec engineering group is leading change in the shipping industry with its innovative shore power technologies, which are supporting steps taken by shipping lines and port authorities to reduce ship emissions
From 1 January 2014, half of all container and cruise ships that regularly call at major ports in California are[ds_preview] required to connect to shore side electrical power. The legislation demands that this share increases to 80 % by 2020. Cavotec’s Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) systems are one way the ports sector has successfully improved environmental performance of ships in port. AMP enables ships to connect to shore side electrical power and switch off their engines, thus reducing emissions and cutting fuel costs. Electricity, even produced by conventional means, is considerably cleaner than power generated by burning the low-grade oil used by ships. The AMP systems are uniquely varied. The group manufactures on shore, ship-based, fixed or mobile as well as low and medium voltage systems. These systems are used in a variety of applications – cruise terminals, passenger ferry container terminals and elsewhere – as well as defence applications. AMP units are in service, or are currently being installed, on more than 500 ships, while ports across Europe, Asia and North America use land-based, fixed and mobile versions of this technology. Cavotec also manufactures a mobile version of AMP (AMPMobile). This system already provides electrical power to large cruise vessels at the Port of Los Angeles, and will be used to do the same at the Port of Hamburg in Germany, where Becker Marine Systems has developed a unique, barge-based LNG generator system for powering vessels calling at the port’s cruise terminal.

The LNG hybrid barge supplies ships with land-generated, low-emission electrical power. The barge, moored a distance from the cruise terminal, will supply up to 7.5 MW at 11 kV to a junction box on the nearby Grasbrook pier. The AMPMobile unit, supplied by Cavotec, will ensure safe and efficient management of power and control cables that connect cruise vessels to the shore power outlet, thereby enabling ships to switch off their generators, which in turn substantially reduces emissions. Cavotec engineered the AMPMobile unit specifically for this application to ensure safe, user-friendly connection operations between ships and shore power. The unit can also be towed from the pier when not in use, thereby making use of the unit time and cost-effective. Cavotec/TWG

Cavotec/TWG