THE NEW South Wales state government has awarded a $20 million dollar contract to begin the Shore Power project at Sydney’s White Bay Cruise Terminal.
The Australian-first project will see the construction of wharf-side infrastructure to supply cruise ships at the White Bay terminal with electricity via a landside charger, meaning vessels won’t have to keep their engines running while berthed.
The contract for the charger at White Bay’s berth 5 has been awarded shore power technology company Powercon, with initial work to prepare the site set to begin by the end of the year.
The landmark project is aimed at creating a cleaner cruise industry, with Shore Power estimated to reduce emissions associated with the White Bay precinct by over 4000 tonnes annually.
The NSW government says the project means cleaner air and less noise for the residents of Balmain and Rozelle, with the precinct and population expected to grow in the coming decade.
The announcement comes before the start of the summer cruise season in the state, with the arrival of Diamond Princess into Sydney Harbour on October 3 and the Pacific Adventure at White Bay on the following day.
In 2022-23, the cruise industry contributed $2.75 billion to the NSW economy and created approximately 9000 jobs.
The NSW government believes the move puts Sydney on par with other global cities adopting similar technology, such as in Europe, where shoreside electricity will be mandatory at all main ports from 2030.
The government says Port Authority will determine the best mechanism to implement the shore power mandate, stating it is likely to be through contract obligations with its cruise industry partners.
NSW minister for transport, Jo Haylen said the project will ensure less cruise ship pollution for generations to come.
“This will be the first major shore power infrastructure in southern hemisphere and the carbon emissions reduction this project at White Bay will achieve is equivalent to taking 1100 cars off Sydney’s roads or planting 20,000 trees each year.”
Philip Holliday, CEO of Port Authority NSW said, “Port Authority is focused on progressing the Shore Power project to our revised delivery date and creating a world-class, integrated, sustainable port of the future that supports our economy, the community and the NSW Government’s vision for the area.”
The project is estimated for completion by late 2026, and once operational, it will be mandatory for any ship that docks at White Bay Cruise Terminal that is enabled to use Shore Power to do so, with the majority of ships that use the terminal already enabled for the technology.
The Australian Cruise Association commented on the project, “This decision marks a significant step forward in progressing this important project that reinforces the commitment by NSW to assist the cruise sector in reaching the target of net zero emissions by 2050”.
