Bilbao secures €14m for shore power infrastructure

The work is expected to wrap up by 2025, in time for the 2026 cruise season.

Support from several cruise lines 

Explained Bilbao port’s cruise manager, Gloria Frau, ‘We are delighted with this result and are very grateful for the written support from MSC Cruises, Carnival UK, TUI Cruises and Royal Caribbean that has helped the funding case.’

Shore power 

Bilbao, which is regarded as a core Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) port, will use the funding to install shore power infrastructure across the total port area. It will be equipped with a solar power plant and 14 OPS connection points, spanning its cruise, ferry and container piers.

Other projects on course for 2024 finish

This latest project is one of many initiated by the Spanish port in recent years. Others were for a 20 MW wind farm and gas bunkering station, which are already in operation, and a hydrogen and e-fuel plant set to be ready by 2024. 

The port states it is ‘well at the forefront’ of being able to meet the target of a 55% drop in emissions by 2030 set by the EU, and closer to meeting the EU’s Fit for 55 targets by cutting its GHG emissions by 40%.

Part of the Fit for 55 proposal requires passenger ships to have zero emissions when alongside in European ports by 2030, with some exemptions expiring by 2035.