Shore power for car transporters
Today (May 20, 2025), Senator for Economic Affairs, Transformation, and Ports Kristina Vogt signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the use of shore power together with the shipping company Höegh Autoliners and the port company Bremenports. Starting in September 2025, the Norwegian shipping company will supply its car carriers in Bremerhaven's Nordhafen with climate-friendly electricity from shore. This step exceeds the legal requirements.
Kristina Vogt, Senator for Ports, Economy, and Transformation, said at the signing ceremony: “The ports of Bremen are leading the way in climate protection. With shore power for car carriers, we are creating an offering that goes beyond EU requirements. This shows that we are actively shaping the transition to a low-emission port.”
With today's MoU, Höegh Autoliners is the first company to commit to using the new shore power facility at the BLG terminal in Nordhafen, which is scheduled to go into operation in September 2025. The facility was planned on the basis of a 2020 Senate resolution and is part of the comprehensive shore power expansion in the ports of Bremen.
“We are delighted to be able to deepen our cooperation with Bremerhaven and support one of our most important ports in its decarbonization efforts. This cooperation represents another important step on our path to net zero,” says Andreas Enger, CEO of Höegh Autoliners.
"We have already reached a similar agreement with MSC for the container quay. The fact that Höegh Autoliners, another major shipping company, is now clearly committed to supplying clean electricity in ports even before the shore power requirement comes into force in 2030 is an extremely positive sign. This once again makes it clear that the industry has long recognized that climate protection is not a green fig leaf, but a fundamental component of decarbonizing shipping and port development," says Bremenports Managing Director Robert Howe.
Senator Vogt: “Shore power is one of the most effective and technically feasible measures for significantly reducing emissions in port operations. The fact that a global company such as Höegh has voluntarily committed to this at an early stage sends an important signal—and encourages other shipping companies to follow suit.”
Höegh Autoliners' new “Aurora” class of ships is shore power-compatible, “ammonia-ready” – i.e., prepared for operation with ammonia – and equipped with photovoltaics. Four of the twelve planned ships in this class are already in service and also call at Bremerhaven regularly.
The facility in Nordhafen will be the first in Bremerhaven to provide shore power for car transport traffic. At the same time, three shore power facilities are currently being built at the container terminal and another facility for cruise ships at the Columbuskaje in the overseas port. “We are investing specifically in infrastructure for climate-friendly shipping – but that alone is not enough,” Vogt continued. “For shore power to become the norm, fair framework conditions are needed nationwide: green electricity must be affordable, grid expansion must be secured, and the federal government must be involved in the financing.”
Today's event underscores the growing demand: other shipping companies have also already expressed interest in using shore power in Bremerhaven.
Media contact:
Christoph Sonnenberg, press spokesman for the Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports, and Transformation, Tel.: (0421) 361-82909, E-Mail: [email protected]
