LNG power on the quay – alternative energy supplies in the Port of Hamburg

Innovative technology developed right here in Hamburg is set to enable large container ships to switch off their so-called auxiliary diesel during laytime and instead draw the power they need for on-board operations from a new kind of mobile generator – not only in Hamburg, but also in ports across the world.

The mobile power plant was developed by the Hamburg-based technology supplier Becker Marine Systems. The concept calls for having a so-called Becker LNG PowerPac supply container ships with eco-friendly power from the quay. The LNG PowerPac was developed as a compact system the size of two 40-foot containers. The unit comprises a gas-powered generator and an LNG tank, which supplies the energy for the generator. As soon as a container ship docks, a container gantry crane lifts the mobile 1.5-megawatt power generator from the quay into position at the stern of the ship. Once there, it is connected to the ship’s on-board power system, which allows it to supply the electricity needed for on-board operations during the ship’s stay in port. Thanks to this innovation, harmful emissions – such as sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and nitrous oxides – that would normally be generated while the ship is running on auxiliary diesel can either be significantly reduced or avoided entirely. Over the past few weeks, the operation has been successfully tested multiple times at the Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) using a prototype and a giant 20,000 TEU container ship of Hapag-Lloyd’s A18 class.

“As a global company based in Hamburg, we were more than happy to support the tests. Shore-side power is an important component in our extensive efforts to make our business even more sustainable,” says Anthony J. Firmin, Executive Board Member for Shipping at Hapag-Lloyd. “However, there is still more to be done. It’s no simple matter to adapt such a huge container ship to a new power source in a ‘plug and play’ fashion.”

“One of the questions still open, at least from our point of view, is this: Should the generator really be on board – or would it be better to have it on land?” Firmin continues. “For us, this is also a question of slot capacities on board. On top of that, it’s also about safety and liability issues. Operating the PowerPac on the pier is unfortunately not possible in Hamburg, but that will be different in other ports.”

You can watch a video showing the handling of the LNG PowerPac here on YouTube.