Recently, the port commissioned its second shore power facility for cruise ships at the Ostseekai terminal. Previously limited to one cruise ship, the upgraded terminal can now provide electricity to two cruise ships at the same time, while an additional cruise vessel can connect at the Ostuferhafen terminal. With the extension now completed, Kiel has finalized its shore power infrastructure.
Dirk Claus, Managing Director at SEEHAFEN KIEL, said: “With this commissioning, we as a port are completing the development of our shore power infrastructure. Seven seagoing vessels can now be supplied with green shore power at the same time in the port of Kiel – including three cruise ships. We have invested 50 million euros in shore power alone in recent years and were already able to reduce ship emissions by 60 per cent last year through shore power supply. By 2026, we will be supplying 80 per cent of all ships with shore power.”
The newly built facility at Ostseekai, with a capacity of 16 MVA, 50/60 Hz, and 6.6/11 kV, extends the existing shore power system that has been in operation since 2021. This allows both cruise ships docking simultaneously at the terminal to draw electricity in parallel.
Claus added: “In the past and current seasons, there have been several days when both cruise ships wanted to use shore power at the Ostseekai. This sends a strong signal: demand from shipping companies for shore power is extremely high, and we are delighted with the excellent cooperation we have enjoyed here.”
Construction of the extension began in November 2024 and was completed on schedule. The project partners included PowerCon, Siemens, Inros Lackner, and Stemmann. Funding support came from the federal government, the state of Schleswig-Holstein, and the European Union.
Kiel’s collaboration with shipping companies dates back to its early shore power efforts. Daily supply to Color Line ferries began in 2019, followed by Stena Line ferries in 2021. That same year, the AIDAsol became the first cruise ship in Kiel to receive shore power. Since then, technical adjustments and integration processes have been carried out on board various vessels in close cooperation with the port.
In 2024, the port recorded 120 cruise ship calls using shore power. So far, 24 different cruise ships have connected more than 270 times. Despite a temporary interruption during construction, the port expects this year’s supply to reach about 10 million kilowatt hours, similar to the previous year.
The expansion of shore power capacity is central to Kiel’s goal of cutting emissions. The port aims to fully eliminate its CO? footprint by 2030, reinforcing its role in advancing the maritime energy transition.
