HAROPA Begins Work on Shore Power Connections at Le Havre Cruise Terminal

HAROPA PORT has started working on the construction of electricity supply connections for ships at the Le Havre cruise terminal.

The purpose of the work planned for HAROPA PORT’s cruise terminal, dubbed Florida Point, is to assist the energy transition in the sea cruise sector, which goes in line with the port’s strategic project decarbonize its activities.

Each supply outlet will be capable of providing up to 13 MW, subject to a maximum of 30 MW (or the equivalent of the power required to supply 5,000 homes) on all three quays simultaneously.

Electricity supply at berth can in this way cut emissions by between 15,000 and 20,000 tons of CO₂ every year, according to HAROPA PORT.

A consortium of VINCI Energies and VINCI Construction subsidiaries has been selected to deliver a high-voltage power supply system for the project.

Prior to the start of the construction work, the connection to the public grid provided by ENEDIS required the creation of a three-kilometer underground network comprising three 20 kV cables and the installation of an additional 40MVA EHV/HV transformer at the distribution substation for increased capacity. This grid connection required an investment of €5.6 million.

Hangar 13 on Florida Point will be modified to provide an available area of 1,200 sq. m. to accommodate high-voltage distribution equipment and conversion systems to adapt the network operated by ENEDIS to the specific needs of ships.

Then, an underground cable network will be laid to connect five power outlets to the ships.

The electrification of Pierre Callet quay will be operational as early as 2025 as the first phase of the project. Roger Meunier and Joannès Couvert quays will provide the same reception facilities, by the end of 2025 and early in 2026 respectively.

An investment of €32 million has been earmarked for this project, which benefits from €13.6 million in government support and €900,000 from the coal and steel research fund.

“This is an innovation that will allow cruise vessels to connect to a source of electrical power during their calls at Le Havre. HAROPA PORT is proud to be among the first European ports to be able to offer this service to cruise ships, and it represents major progress in the decarbonization of port activities,” sad Stéphane RAISON, CEO of HAROPA PORT.