ABB to Supply Shore Connection System for DEME’s Fleet in Vlissingen Port

ABB has secured a contract to deliver shore connection installations that will enable DEME’s fleet to avoid emissions when berthed in the Port of Vlissingen in the Netherlands.

ABB’s shore connection technology will support DEME’s long-term decarbonization strategy, providing the flexibility required to adapt to changing grid capabilities.

Shore connection enables the 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.

DEME has set itself a goal of cutting 40% from the greenhouse gases generated by its fleet by 2030 compared to 2008, moving significantly ahead of the revised emissions reduction target set by the International Maritime Organization in 2023.

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 the other 20-ft unit.

“This project is part of DEME’s wider strategy to integrate its sustainable business goals with daily operations.

“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,” said Marc De Boom, Department Manager, DEME Base Vlissingen.

“We are delighted to have secured this significant shore connection contract and look forward to working with DEME to support its ambitious commitments for maritime decarbonization.

“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,” added Frank van Delden, Account Manager, ABB Marine & Ports.