FRANCE – Rather than being a revolutionary way to press one's shirts, 'cold ironing' is in fact a sensible way to eliminate auxiliary engine emissions from vessels whilst on berth, thereby improving air quality and reducing noise pollution. This week the Port of Dunkirk saw a new such service inaugurated, with the call of the CMA CGM container ship APL Singapura.
The visit of the 13,892 TEU box ship to the port’s Terminal des Flandres saw her able to shut down her auxiliary engines while still getting the power needed, particularly in order to maintain controlled temperatures in the vessel’s reefer points, ensuring the continuity of the cold chain for refrigerated cargo whilst helping to protect the environment from unnecessary pollution.
Cold ironing technology has credible environmental benefits, including zero emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides and fine particles while ships are at berth, plus significantly reduced noise pollution. The cold ironing system installed at the Terminal des Flandres will become fully operational during the first half of 2020. By undertaking this ambitious operation, the Port of Dunkirk and CMA CGM both say they are confirming their determination to protect the environment. Stéphane Raison, Chairman of the Port of Dunkirk Executive Board, said:
“Our decision to develop this particularly innovative solution allowing container ships to plug into onshore power at the Terminal des Flandres is in line with the pro-active environmental policy that the Port of Dunkirk has been pursuing for many years.”
The new facility was co-financed by the Urban Community of Dunkirk, the Hauts-de-France region (via the European Regional Development Fund), and the Port of Dunkirk. The CMA CGM Group covered the cost of the equipment needed to connect the vessel, in line with its efforts to support energy transition in the shipping industry.
The ACTEMIUM group was selected to carry out the works at the terminal. These included the design and supply of a cold ironing system that fits into six 40-foot containers, converting the public electricity supply for use by ships at port. With capacity of 8 MW, enough to power nearly 1,000 homes, this system is one of the most powerful ever to be installed in Europe. Christine Cabau Woehrel, Executive Vice President in charge of Industrial Assets, CMA CGM Group, commented:
“Given CMA CGM's steadfast commitment to installing more environmentally responsible solutions on board its vessels, the Group supports cold ironing and we will continue to equip our fleet accordingly. We are ready to test this system with other European port authorities that are committed to using cold ironing at their container ship terminals, as the Port of Dunkirk has successfully done.”
As can be seen from the accompanying photograph the ceremony to launch the service was well attended with notable participants being those individuals mentioned above plus Eric Etienne, Dunkirk's deputy prefect, Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Regional Council, Patrice Vergriete, President of the Urban Community of Dunkirk, Nicolas Sartini, Chief Executive Officer of CEVA Logistics, and Gérard Mulliez, founder of Auchan, the first customer of the Port of Dunkirk through the group’s family-owned companies.
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