18 May 2012
Shore-side power is the ‘most cost effective way’ of reducing emissions at Canadian port
A consultant’s report has backed the use ‘cold ironing’ at the Canadian West Coast port of Victoria.
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) last year asked the consulting company AECOM (link)
A draft executive summary of the study was released this week ahead of a GVHA board meeting.
The study’s findings are that installing shoreside power for cruise ships would be the most cost-effective way of reducing emissions.
The option recommended by AECOM is a system allowing one vessel at a time plug into the regional power grid.
Estimated infrastructure costs would be around $8.8 million, including $6.8 million for an on-site shore power system and $2 million for upgrades to the grid.
Some 230 cruise ship visits are expected at Ogden Point this year and AECOM said 75 visits would be from ships equipped to use shore power.
The nearby port of Vancouver already uses cold ironing and the port authority, Port Metro Vancouver, has estimated that each cruise ship that plugs into the shore power brings emissions reductions equivalent to taking 80 cars off the road.
Other North American West Coast ports offering shore-side power to cruise ships include Seattle and Juneau.
The cruise industry in western Canada has been facing opposition from residents worried about its impact on the environment. A study published last year suggested that the social and environmental costs of the cruise industry, in terms of emissions and traffic congestion,had been largely ignored.
Nick Jameson, London News Desk, 18th May 2012 14:49 GMT
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