GC Rieber Salt, which is one of the larger distributors of salt and minerals in the Nordics, and Plug will jointly look at how smaller bulk and side-port ships carrying salt can be connected to the power grid when berthed.
The companies have received support from Enova to carry out a feasibility study. Initially, the quays of GC Rieber Salt in Harstad and at Laksevåg in Bergen will be assessed, but other quays used for salt and bulk will also be mapped. Dialogue with the shipping companies to find out how to motivate them for increased use of shore power on GC Rieber Salt's quays and elsewhere will also be an important part of the work.
- We currently transport a large share of our goods by sea, and we have a strong desire to reduce emissions associated with this freight. In order for this to happen in a sustainable way, there is a need to find cost-effective solutions for infrastructure development, says Truls Wingsternes, Head of Development, Innovation and Sustainability at GC Rieber Salt.
Wingsternes believes that battery-electric propulsion is possible for this type of short sea shipping in the future, as these ships travel relatively short distances at a slow pace and thus have low consumption. Future opportunities for charging will thus also be assessed as part of the preliminary project.
The Norwegian shore connection forum and Enova provide new opportunities
The Norwegian shore connection forum has recently made a decision to include a simpler coupler for shore connections than the ones included in the international shore power standards, and Enova has made it possible for infrastructure with such couplers to apply for funding under their shore power program.
- This provides us with opportunities to find efficient solutions also for ship segments where it cannot be justified to construct large and costly shore power facilities. We strongly believe that the feasibility study will result in us building shore power facilities for bulk and side-port vessels both in collaboration with GC Rieber Salt and on other quays, says Maria Bos, CEO of Plug.
About GC Rieber Salt
GC Rieber Salt is one of the larger distributors of salt and minerals for road maintenance and for the agricultural, fishery, food, chemical and oil industries in the Nordics. Read more about GC Rieber Salt here.
About Plug
Plug aims to speed up the construction of shore power infrastructure to enable zero emission solutions for both large ships and smaller boats while berthed. At the core of our business model is long-term cooperation and partnerships. We work with leading suppliers to get the best shore power technology for each project. Read more about Plug here
Contact persons
Maria Bos, CEO of Plug AS - 975 78 136, maria.bos@plugport.no
Truls Wingsternes, Head of Development, Innovation and Sustainability GC Rieber Salt – 977 36 565, truls.wingsternes@gcrieber.com