NEW South Wales is finally set to power up for cleaner cruise ship visits, with a $20 million contract finally awarded to begin the landmark shore power project at White Bay Cruise Terminal (CW 22 Mar 2022).
Shore power leader Powercon will begin work on the on a charger at berth 5 by the end of the year – a time frame the project was initially scheduled to be completed by, when it was first announced by the prior state government (CW 10 Nov 2022).
The project is now targeted for completion by late 2026, and is estimated to reduce emissions associated with the White Bay precinct (pictured) by more than 4,000 tonnes every year.
Any shore power-enabled ship that docks at White Bay once the project is completed will be required to “plug in”.
The vast majority of ships that call at White Bay are shore power-enabled, with Carnival Corporation having already signed a letter of intent to do so.
“This will be the first project of its kind in Australia, and it will be run on renewables,” Deputy Leader of the Labor Party Tanya Plibersek said.
“Awarding the contract for the shore power equipment design, fabrication, supply, and installation marks a major milestone,” she added.
NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen blamed the project’s delay on the prior state government, which she claimed failed to allocate funding for it.
Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of New South Wales, Philip Holliday, added his support for the project.
“Port Authority is focused on progressing the shore power project to our revised delivery date and creating a world-class, integrated, sustainable port of the future that supports our economy, the community and the NSW Government’s vision for the area,” he added. MS