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Seward wins $45.7m EPA grant for cruise ship shore power

Turnagain Marine President Jason Davis asserted it will be Alaska's most advanced shore power system.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

October 30, 2024

2 Min Read
Seward's new cruise facility, set to open in 2026, will offer an advanced shore power systemRENDERING: THE SEWARD COMPANY

The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Ports Program awarded Seward, Alaska $45.7m to support cruise ship shore power.

The grant was awarded to a public-private partnership for Seward's new cruise port. The project brings together the city, The Seward Company, Royal Caribbean Group and the Alaska Railroad, and will enable ships to connect to electrical power from the local grid. This entails extending the electric transmission line to the port, adding switchgear and integrating a battery energy storage system.

$50.8m project

The Clean Ports grant will cover 90% of the $50.8m project cost. The remaining 10% is comprised of funding support and design criteria from the Seward Company. The Alaska Railroad is also supporting the initiative through land access and assistance with the grant application.

The total projected value will exceed $56m once completed.

Power supplier Seward Electric Services is owned by the city and currently serves 3,000 customers.

Turnagain Marine President Jason Davis asserted Seward's will be Alaska's most advanced shore power system.

'For a community this size, the system will constantly analyze and store power, saving energy and money for the city of Seward, all while making it a better place to visit and live,' he said.

Related:Alaska Railroad to buy new $137m Seward cruise port, opening 2026

Game-changer for Seward

'The EPA Clean Ports Grant is a game-changer for us,' according to Seward City Manager Kat Sorensen. 'It allows the city to implement shore power technology that will drastically reduce emissions from cruise ships in our coastal Alaska community.'

Mickey Richardson, CEO of the Port of Tomorrow and owner of the Seward Company, which is developing the new cruise port, said: 'Royal Caribbean made it easy to dream big. At today’s price tag for infrastructure projects, new ideas require long-term thinking and even more support through model public-private partnerships. Without Royal Caribbean Group’s commitment to shore power, receiving this EPA grant would not be possible.'

Vocational training program

Within the grant, Alaska Vocational Technical Center, based in Seward, will receive funding to develop a training program to support the operations and anticipated maintenance for the complete shore power system, including ship connections, computer control systems and battery bank.

All the design elements and construction requirements have been considered by the Seward Company and Turnagain Marine in the port’s development plan. The new port is scheduled to open in May 2026, with the integrated shore power system anticipated to be complete shortly after.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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