Cruise ships plug in to cut pollution

Port Metro Vancouver shore power enables cruise ships to plug into BC Hydro's hydroelectric grid, cutting diesel emissions and improving air quality with dockside electricity during the Alaska season at Canada's busiest port.

Cruise ships docking in Vancouver, a popular hub for tourists bound for Alaska, can now plug into the city's electricity grid — cutting their engines and their diesel air emissions.

Port Metro Vancouver, Canada's biggest port, unveiled a shore power facility for cruise ships to plug in at port while in harbor, a first in Canada and only the third of its kind in the world.

Cruise ships can now plug into the electrical grid of the provincial utility, BC Hydro in British Columbia, which says that its mostly hydroelectric-generated power is 90 percent nonpolluting.

"This project will significantly improve local air quality by reducing air emissions from cruise ships in downtown Vancouver through clean power adoption throughout the cruise ship season," said Andrew Saxton, a member of Parliament for North Vancouver.

Long-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust likely causes lung cancer in humans and can trigger other lung and respiratory ailments, with electrification projects such as the Port of Montreal substation project helping reduce port emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have outfitted several of their fleet with onboard shore power equipment, echoing broader renewable efforts like a Saskatchewan wind farm component delivery underway. Four Princess ships and one Holland America ship will use shore power in Vancouver during the 2009 Alaska season, which runs from May to September.

Related News

• Electricity Forum News

• Power Generation News