Groundbreaking for new shore power facilities in Copenhagen

The facilities will be constructed by PowerCon and Nordkysten for the Copenhagen City and Port Development Agency (By & Havn) and operated by Copenhagen Malmö Port. The project is being co-financed by the EU’s TEN-T program and the Municipality of Copenhagen.

According to CMP, it will be the largest shore power installation for cruise vessels in Europe. 

‘The marking of the start of construction for the new shore power facilities together with the Municipality of Copenhagen and By & Havn is an important milestone in the green transition that benefits the people of Copenhagen,’ said Barbara Scheel Agersnap, CEO, Copenhagen Malmö Port. ‘2024… is also the year when Copenhagen won the award as Europe's leading cruise port and the year when we for the first time have cruise bookings in all 12 months of the year.’  

In 2025, it will be possible for cruise ships to connect simultaneously via two out of five connection points at Langelinie and Oceankaj. 

Attitudes to shore power 

Copenhagen Malmö is on course to receive 24 maiden calls this year, of which, 10 will be in Copenhagen and 14 in Visby, Gotland. According to CMP, acceptance of shore power among cruise lines has grown. Scheel Agersnap explained, ‘...shipping companies' readiness for shore power has increased significantly. We are therefore very much looking forward to putting the facility into operation next year and offering shore power to the ships that call at Oceankaj and Langelinie - five years before it becomes a legal requirement.’ 

The port expects to become CO2-neutral in its own operations from the 2025 cruise season. 

Second shore power installation

One shore power facility already exists in Copenhagen at the DFDS terminal, located in Søndre Frihavn. Inaugurated in 2021, it supplies power to the ferry connecting Copenhagen with Oslo.