ABB has won a contract to provide a complete shore connection installation for the DEME Base in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, which will allow the company’s diverse fleet of dredgers, offshore construction and support vessels to avoid carbon emissions by shutting off their engines and drawing on shore power while at berth.
Headquartered in Belgium, DEME is a leading contractor in the fields of offshore energy, environmental remediation, dredging and marine infrastructure. DEME’s goal is to cut 40% of the GHG generated by its fleet by 2030 compared to 2008, moving significantly ahead of the revised IMO emissions reduction target.
ABB will install shore power to connect to suitably equipped vessels calling at Vlissingen’s DEME base by the end of 2024, as part of the ‘Temporary Shore Power Grant Scheme for Marine Vessels 2022 – 2023’, a Dutch government-supported initiative that stimulates the construction and use of shore power facilities. Connecting to shore power for energy needs while at berth is expected to become mandatory at main EU ports listed in the trans-European transport network from 2030, under FuelEU Maritime regulations.
Marc De Boom, Department Manager, DEME Vlissingen said: “This project is part of DEME’s wider strategy to integrate its sustainable business goals with daily operations. DEME has high ambitions regarding CO₂ reductions, and we are proud to be the first Belgian marine contractor who achieved the highest level of the CO₂ performance ladder, which is widely used in the Netherlands and Belgium. We are happy to collaborate with ABB, an experienced and reliable technology leader with a solid track record in shore connection installations.”
Awarded after a private tender process, the DEME contract is considered to provide an example of the way ABB aligns with local interests to ensure that its solutions are flexible in helping meet decarbonisation milestones. Ultimately planned as a 2MVA converter, ABB’s shoreside shore connection will run at a lower 1.75MVA until the local grid can deliver sufficient capacity between the substation and the power outlet at the dock. In a straightforward installation, the entire solution will be housed in two ISO containers – one 40ft unit and one 20ft unit.
Frank van Delden, Account Manager, ABB Marine and Ports said: “We are delighted to have secured this significant shore connection contract and look forward to working with DEME to support its ambitious commitments for maritime decarbonisation, Given the diversity of the DEME fleet, this is a key reference for our shore power technology, showing that almost any type of vessel can avoid emissions by connecting to shore power at the quay.”
ABB says it delivered the world’s first shore power supply system to the Swedish port of Gothenburg in 2000 and the first shipside installation in 2001.
Image: DEME Vlissingen offshore base (credit: DEME Group)
