Just 20% of Europe’s Top Ports Meet Required Shore-Power Connections

A new study by DNV for Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) reveals that only 20% of the shore-power infrastructure required under the EU Green Deal has been installed or commissioned in Europe’s major ports. 

Of the 31 busiest terminals analysed, just four have delivered, or contracted, at least half of the electric connections needed to allow berthed ships to plug in and switch off their diesel generators.

Ships at berth account for more than 6% of the EU’s maritime CO₂ emissions, alongside substantial releases of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and fine particulates. These pollutants aggravate climate change, and pose serious health risks to port-side communities, according to the report. 

Despite clear environmental and public health benefits, most container vessels, cruise ships and ferries continue to burn fossil fuels while docked.

Under the EU’s revised Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) rules and the 2021 Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, all major ports must offer shore-side electricity by 2030. 

However, T&E warns that waiting until the end of the decade will lock in years of unnecessary emissions: 

“Electric plug-in technology is available and would reduce shipping’s impact on local air pollution and the climate overnight,” said T&E shipping policy officer, Inesa Ulichina.

According to DNV’s analysis, only Gothenburg, Oslo, Antwerp, and Zeebrugge have met more than 50% of their assessed shore-power requirements. Ports in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean lag far behind, despite intense cruise traffic and growing container throughput.

Cruise ships are particularly heavy emitters at berth, generating more than six times the port-side pollution of container vessels. T&E notes that plugging these ships into shore power could eliminate almost all their emissions while docked and cut their total annual CO₂ output by roughly 20%. 

“Ports are failing local residents and passengers by allowing unnecessary pollution from idling ships,” said Ulichina. “For shipping segments that spend a lot of time at ports like cruise ships, plugging in would be a gamechanger”.

To accelerate progress, T&E is calling on the European Commission to bring forward the shore-power requirement for cruise ships to 2028, rather than 2030. The NGO also urged Brussels to allow ports to earn clean energy credits when ships plug in, dedicate additional EU funding for electrification projects, and extend the rules to cover all polluting vessels, not just the largest passenger and container ships.

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