Galveston gets $1m grant for shore power pilot

The goal is to reduce emissions from cargo shipping at the Port of Galveston, however cruise vessels there may benefit from the findings.

Funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the pilot will include establishing an onshore electricity microgrid to provide a clean portable power source to a docked ship as an alternative to the vessel using its diesel-fueled auxiliary engines. 

Pilot completion expected in 2025

The project study team will evaluate the microgrid’s feasibility, environmental impacts and operational data such as energy consumption and power production efficiency. The pilot is expected to be implemented in 2024 and completed in 2025.

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, said, 'Improving air quality is one of our top environmental goals as a Green Marine-certified port. This grant will boost our objective to offer clean shore power to cargo ships calling at the Port of Galveston.'

Green Marine is a voluntary environmental program that helps identify and implement best practices, manage environmental initiatives, measure progress and strive for continuous improvement. Galveston was certified in 2021.

Follows 2022 cruise MOU

In 2022, the port, Carnival Corp., CenterPoint Energy, Royal Caribbean Group, Shell Trading (US) Co. and Texas A&M inked a non-binding memorandum of understanding outlining their intention to develop a shore power project timeline and specifications, as well as cost estimates and proposed agreements for a shore power system.

Royal Caribbean outfitted its cruise terminal, opened in 2022, for shore power readiness, and Carnival pledged that any of its ships regularly assigned to homeport at Galveston will be capable of connecting to shore power once it is available.