In December, the Barcelona Ferry Terminal will have two docking points that will allow electrical charging of the vessels that operate in this infrastructure. The works, which have just begun, are valued at 3.5 million euros (without VAT), co-financed with European funds, and are part of the first phase of Nexigen, the electrification plan for the docks of the port of the Catalan capital. .
The contract, awarded last year to the Omexom Puerto de Barcelona joint venture (Tecuni SAU, Inove Ingenieria SA, GTIE Synertec SAS and Actemium Electro AB), formed by companies from Vinci Energies, global leader for digital and energy transition solutions, includes the drafting and execution of the project, as well as the connection and disconnection service for the ships and the maintenance of the facility, located at the Sant Bertran dock and where the companies Algerie Ferries, GNV and Trasmed GLE operate.
Connecting the ships at the Barcelona Ferry Terminal to the electrical grid will eliminate emissions when they are in port because they will be able to turn off the engines. The OPS (onshore power supply) systems to be installed will charge electricity from 100% renewable sources.
Since the middle of last year, the team at the port of Barcelona developing the pilot project, led by Ana Arévalo, Head of Shorepower Department, and that at Vinci Energies Spain, led by Carlos Muñoz, have been working on drafting the project and, Once completed, the construction phase has begun.
Vinci Energies Spain has participated in the implementation of 39 OPS systems around the world (21 in Sweden, eleven in France, four in Norway, two in the United Arab Emirates and one in Denmark), which have demonstrated a significant improvement in quality life of its cities with a reduction in both noise pollution and emissions (according to calculations prepared by State Ports, the reduction in emissions per ship is 96% of NOx, 8% of SOx, 94 % particles and 64% CO2).
With initial investments of more than 130 million euros, Nexigen is one of the large projects promoted by the port of Barcelona to reduce CO2 emissions from port operations by 50% until 2030 and become a carbon-neutral port. before 2050. This plan will make it possible for ships to connect to the general electrical grid once docked, using clean energy with 100% renewable origin certification.
The first OPS points of the Port of Barcelona came into operation in the MB92 facilities for the maintenance of large yachts in Port Vell and in the Hutchison Ports BEST terminal – in the Prat dock – work has been advanced to install what will be the first OPS for container ships from southern Europe, which will be launched in July. On the other hand, the port’s board of directors gave the green light on January 31 to the process to tender the construction and commissioning of the first OPS in a cruise terminal, in the future MSC terminal, currently under construction on the dock. Adossat.
