Federal Government gets serious about electrifying Aussie ports.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia MD Joel Katz has hailed a move by the Federal Government to invest $70 million in making ports in South Australia greener by financing electrification measures through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
“The CEFC will investigate how berthed ships at Flinders Ports can be connected to the grid rather than relying on bunker fuel,” Katz said.
“Shore power is a game-changer for reducing emissions in maritime operations, allowing ships to turn off their engines and plug into shoreside electricity while in port,” he added.
Flinders Port Holdings own and operate Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal, as well as the six regional ports of Port Giles, Port Lincoln, Wallaroo, Port Pirie, Klein Point and Thevenard.
While there are no details about investments in other ports at this stage, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, described the investment as “a milestone project”, as part of “early steps towards the electrification of Australian ports, beginning in South Australia”.
More details in today’s issue of Cruise Weekly.