ABB to deliver shoreside connections for DEME Base in Vlissingen

Swiss technology major ABB has won a contract to deliver shoreside connections for the DEME Base in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.

Under the contract, ABB will install shore power to connect to suitably equipped vessels calling at Vlissingen’s DEME base by the end of 2024, as part of the “Temporary Shore Power Grant Scheme for Marine Vessels 2022 – 2023”, a government-supported initiative that stimulates the construction and use of shore power facilities in Dutch seaports.

Ultimately planned as a 2MvA converter, ABB’s shoreside shore connection will run at a lower 1.75MvA until the local grid can deliver sufficient capacity between the substation and the power outlet at the dock. In a straightforward installation, the entire solution will be housed in two ISO containers – one 40-ft unit and one 20-ft unit.

Shore connection will enable the company‘s diverse fleet of dredgers, offshore construction and support vessels to avoid carbon emissions by shutting off their engines and drawing on shore power while at berth.

Belgium-based DEME is one of the leading contractors in the fields of offshore energy, environmental remediation, dredging, and marine infrastructure. The company aims to cut 40% of greenhouse gas emissions produced by its fleet by 2030 when compared to 2008 levels.

“This project is part of DEME’s wider strategy to integrate its sustainable business goals with daily operations,” said Marc De Boom, Department Manager, DEME Base Vlissingen.

“DEME has high ambitions regarding CO₂ reductions, and we are proud to be the first Belgian marine contractor who achieved the highest level of the CO₂ performance ladder, which is widely used in the Netherlands and Belgium. We are happy to collaborate with ABB, an experienced and reliable technology leader with a solid track record in shore connection installations.”

“Given the diversity of the DEME fleet, this is a key reference for our shore power technology, showing that almost any type of vessel can avoid emissions by connecting to shore power at the quay,” said Frank van Delden, Account Manager, ABB Marine & Ports.

The drive toward the adoption of shore connections also has a regulatory incentive as FuelEU Maritime regulations will require ships greater than or equal to 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) to connect to shore power for energy needs while at berth at main EU ports from January 2030.