Leadingro-ro and ropax operator Finnlines enhances its commitment to sustainable operations by equipping three vessels with Yara Marine’s shore power solution to reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and noise in port.
Finnlines and Yara Marine Technologies have signed a contract to install Yara Marine’s shore power solution onboard three vessels. The turnkey solution will allow these vessels to connect to the local power grid when in port, switching to electricity rather than using auxiliary engines running on fuel. The installations, which are scheduled for completion in 2022, will help Finnlines eliminate shipboard emissions in port and thus reduce its environmental footprint.
Thomas Doepel, COO of Finnlines, says: “Finnlines is committed to providing sustainable and responsible transportation options in the Baltic and North Seas. Our investment in smart technologies showcases our drive to reduce carbon emissions from our fleet and share our environmental performance with customers and stakeholders.
By equipping these vessels with a shore-to-ship connection, we commit to our goal of reducing harmful emissions and noise while at the port. This has a direct impact on quality of life for those present in areas close to our ports.”
MS Finnlady is one of three Finnlines vessels that will be equipped with Yara Marine’s shore power solution.
Shore power is largely viewed as a means by which the shipping industry can reduce its fuel consumption, meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations, and transit to Net Zero emissions – particularly if the shoreside connection is able to supply renewable energy. The recent signing of a joint commitment for the electrification of ports by 2028 by a number of government ministers and port authorities at the One Ocean Summit (held in France in February) demonstrates clear industry recognition of shore power as a potential route to enable decarbonization targets while allowing for cleaner, lower-impact energy solutions for stopovers.
However, setting up shore power solutions can be technically challenging, particularly in cases where operators are using two or three different systems onboard that are not compatible with each other. Yara Marine’s turnkey shore power solution is designed to provide an answer to this issue, thereby reducing the complexity of installation, and mitigating project-related risks, such as fleet-wide installations. In addition, Yara Marines’ top of the line after-sales and service capabilities ensure that customers will see both cost and time benefits for the lifetimes of their installations.
Aleksander Askeland, CSO of Yara Marine Technologies, says: “Yara Marine Technologies is keen to support cleaner and sustainable operations throughout the maritime industry. We look forward to working with Finnlines to provide solutions that will maximize benefits across the board. We bring our extensive experience in planning and executing multiple vessel installations to this collaboration, and will be managing their needs for the lifetimes of the shore power solutions through our global after-sales service organization.”
