Today, in the Senate
Ábalos reaffirms the Government’s target to electricify all ports by 2030, with renewable sources of energy
- Puertos del Estado has already planned a package of 10 new berthed electricity supply facilities for 2021-25, totaling 25 million euros; the Government’s target is to electrify all ports by 2030.
- The Minister has reported on the OPS MASTERPLAN project for Spain’s Ports, in order to draw up a framework plan to supply electricity to berthed vessels, with a total budget of approximately 5 million euros.
Madrid, 14 July 2020 (Mitma). Today in the Senate the Minister of Transportation, Mobility and Urban Agenda, José Luis Ábalos, has reaffirmed the Government’s target to ensure that all ports are electrified by 2030, at least as regards their material operations, using renewable sources of energy.
The Government’s advocation of port electrification (wharfs included) is consistent with the Strategic Framework of the general interest port system which, as one of its leading management and planning lines, foresees environmentally sustainable ports.
Ábalos, in his parliamentary response, has added that this eco-efficient commitment is based on energy self-generation and self-consumption, generated by renewable sources and conditioned to achieving a neutral carbon print.
Along these lines, the Minister has pointed out that Puertos del Estado has already planned a package of 10 new berthed electricity supply facilities for the coming years 2021-25, totaling approximately 25 million euros. The foregoing could even be part of a EU subsidy application.
OPS MASTERPLAN
Consequently, with Community assistance, the OPS MASTERPLAN project is being executed for Spain’s Ports, in order to draw up a framework plan to supply electricity to berthed vessels, with a total budget of approximately 5 million euros. This would encourage the use of alternative technology to the burning of fossil fuels near cities.
Such plan has been based on pilot projects launched in Tenerife, the Balearic Islands and Las Palmas, where various fast-ferries and conventional ferries, as well as long-term berthed vessels, may connect to the general electricity grid and turn off their auxiliary engines.
As regards the Port Authority of Barcelona, the Minister has declared that a pilot project is underway under which wharfs are expected to receive power of more than 60 Megawatts.
Ábalos has acknowledged that some challenges remain outstanding- on which work has already started up through various measures- such as the fact that only part of the fleet is prepared; that power is not always available; that mandatory vessel connection is still a topic of debate in the international community; and the balance that needs to be reached between facility investments and their subsequent use.
