By
Alex Smith |
The Port of Toulon has completed the commissioning of its shore power solution, the largest ever installed in France.
The facility offers connections at 11 kilovolts and 6.6 kilovolts and frequencies of 50 hertz or 60 hertz, supporting both cruise and ferry formats. This allows the port to provide power to up to three ferries simultaneously, or one cruise ship. The port is also equipped to connect a one megawatt hydrogen fuel cell system. It is the only operational solution in France capable of simultaneously supplying multiple vessels from a single conversion station, due to its digitalised smart grid network architecture.
A consortium led by ABB and including construction company Eiffage Construction and electrical installation company Fauché were responsible for the delivery of the solution, providing building and civil engineering services. The Toulon project is a key part of regional “Zero-smoke stopovers” plans for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, which also include shore power for Marseille and Nice.
“The delivery of this project is an important milestone for Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis as a leading Mediterranean port to provide shore power across all of its docks,” said Jean-Pierre Giran, president of the Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis. “Located in the heart of the city, the port plays a central role in the business community and in the lives of our residents. With the support of our co-funders and partners, we are eliminating over 80 per cent of polluting emissions, saving 9,000 hours of diesel operation per year, and significantly reducing noise and vibrations. The reduction in sulphur emissions alone will be equivalent to those produced by 50,000 cars annually.”
The system designed by Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis integrates ABB equipment that can store energy ashore, helping to smooth out peak energy demand from vessels and balancing loads dynamically. This allows the system to work using emerging renewable energy sources, with solar power and batteries already integrated, and helps to optimise the cost of energy delivered from the 20 kilovolt Enedis grid line. ABB has delivered equipment including battery energy storage and solar panel integration, as well as full engineering project management.
“It has been an honour to contribute to Port of Toulon’s success in leading this innovative installation,” said Marcus Martelin, service line manager for decarbonisation services at ABB Marine & Ports. “This can be regarded as a milestone and a model example for all ports in the Mediterranean and globally. ABB’s shore power solution has established itself as one of the key technologies that continue to drive decarbonisation in shipping.”