Shore power for UK ports and terminals

Onshore power supply lets berthed vessels shut down their auxiliary engines and run on grid electricity. Rossair delivers the landside electrical infrastructure - grid connection, substation, frequency conversion and quayside distribution - under one contractor.

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Shore power - also called onshore power supply (OPS) or cold ironing - is a high-voltage electrical connection at the quayside that allows a berthed vessel to switch off its auxiliary diesel engines and draw electricity from the landside grid. It removes engine emissions, noise and vibration at the berth for the entire time the ship is alongside. Rossair designs and installs the landside infrastructure to IEC/IEEE/ISO 80005 for UK ports and terminals.

Ports combining shore power with on-site generation should also see commercial solar PV systems and battery energy storage.

80005-1
IEC/IEEE/ISO HVSC standard
6.6-11 kV
Typical HV supply to vessel
50 → 60 Hz
Frequency conversion where required
1-16 MW
Berth demand, ferry through cruise

What a shore power installation involves

A shore power project is an electrical infrastructure project first and a maritime project second. The scope we deliver:

  • Grid connection - DNO application, G99 compliance and liaison on any network reinforcement the load triggers
  • Substation and switchgear - HV intake, transformation and protection
  • Frequency conversion - static converters where the berth serves 60 Hz vessels
  • Quayside distribution - cable routing, containment and berth connection points
  • Cable management systems - the interface that physically connects vessel to shore
  • Control, protection and interlocking to IEC/IEEE/ISO 80005-1
  • Testing, commissioning and long-term maintenance

We work alongside vessel-side and OEM equipment suppliers rather than replacing them. Where a port has already selected a shore connection OEM, we deliver the landside infrastructure that equipment sits on.

The grid connection is the programme

Shore power loads are large. A container berth commonly needs 5-8 MW; a cruise berth can need 10-16 MW to carry hotel load. At that scale the available capacity at the port’s grid supply point, not the build programme, is usually what determines the delivery date.

We handle DNO applications and G99 compliance in-house, and we recommend opening that application at feasibility stage rather than after the electrical design is fixed. Programmes that start with the design and treat the connection as an administrative step tend to lose a year.

Why UK ports are moving now

Under FuelEU Maritime and the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, container and passenger ships calling at major EU ports must use onshore power from 2030. UK operators running EU routes are planning against that date, and shipping lines are increasingly selecting berths on whether a shore connection is available.

Local air quality is often the more immediate driver. A berthed vessel running auxiliary engines is a continuous emissions and noise source, and for ports adjacent to residential areas that is a planning and community issue as much as an environmental one.

Rossair has been delivering UK building services since 1973, with the electrical, HV and controls capability that shore power depends on. Named technical lead, documented handover, and a contractor that will still be here to maintain it.

At a glance

Shore power - key facts

Berth demand figures and voltages below are industry-typical ranges for UK and European installations, not project-specific commitments.

Also known as
Onshore power supply (OPS), cold ironing, shore-to-ship power
Buyer profile
Port authorities, terminal operators, marine integrators
Core standard
IEC/IEEE/ISO 80005-1 (high voltage shore connection)
Low voltage standard
IEC/IEEE/ISO 80005-3
Typical HV supply
6.6 kV or 11 kV to the vessel
Frequency conversion
50 Hz grid to 60 Hz vessel supply where required
Typical berth demand
1-2 MW ferry/ro-ro; 5-8 MW container; 10-16 MW cruise
Grid compliance
DNO application and G99 handled in-house
Scope
Substation, cable routing, berth outlets, controls, commissioning
Coverage
UK-wide
Offices
Alton (HQ), London (Aldgate), Manchester
Telephone
01420 566822
Frequently asked

Questions about shore power

What is shore power?
Shore power - also called onshore power supply (OPS) or cold ironing - lets a berthed vessel shut down its auxiliary diesel engines and draw electricity from the landside grid instead. It removes engine emissions, noise and vibration at the quayside for the whole time the ship is alongside. A shore power installation is fundamentally a high-voltage electrical infrastructure project: grid connection, substation, frequency conversion, cable management and a standardised vessel connection point.
Why do ports install shore power?
Three drivers. Air quality and local emissions at the quayside, which is often the deciding factor for ports near residential areas. Regulation - under FuelEU Maritime and the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, container and passenger ships calling at major EU ports must use onshore power from 2030, which affects UK operators running EU routes. And vessel operator demand, as shipping lines increasingly select berths on the basis of available shore connection.
What standards apply to shore power installations?
The governing standard is IEC/IEEE/ISO 80005-1 for high voltage shore connection (HVSC) systems, with 80005-3 covering low voltage connections. These define the connection interface, protection, earthing and safety interlocking so that any compliant vessel can connect at any compliant berth. Alongside them sit the normal UK requirements: BS 7671 for the landside installation, DNO approval and G99 for the grid connection.
Why does shore power need frequency conversion?
The UK grid runs at 50 Hz. Many vessels - particularly those built to US or Asian specifications - run their onboard systems at 60 Hz. Where a berth serves 60 Hz vessels, the shore power installation needs a static frequency converter to transform the incoming 50 Hz supply. Frequency conversion is usually the largest single item of plant in the system and a significant driver of both capital cost and substation footprint, so it is scoped early.
How much power does a shore power connection need?
It depends entirely on vessel type. A ferry or ro-ro berth typically needs 1-2 MW. A container terminal berth is commonly in the 5-8 MW range. Cruise berths are the most demanding, often 10-16 MW to run hotel load for a large vessel. Because these are substantial loads, the available grid capacity at the port is frequently the binding constraint, and the DNO connection application should start before the electrical design is fixed.
What does Rossair deliver on a shore power project?
The landside electrical infrastructure: grid connection application and DNO liaison, substation and switchgear, frequency conversion where required, cable routing and containment across the quay, berth connection points and cable management, control and protection systems, plus testing and commissioning. We work alongside the vessel-side and OEM equipment suppliers rather than replacing them, and can carry the long-term maintenance contract afterwards.
Can shore power be combined with on-site renewable generation?
Yes, and increasingly it is. Ports hold large areas of roof and land suited to solar PV, and battery storage is useful for managing the sharp peak loads shore power creates when a vessel connects. Combining generation, storage and shore power can reduce both the grid reinforcement required and the cost per connection. Rossair delivers all three - see commercial solar PV and BESS projects.
How long does a shore power installation take?
The electrical installation itself is usually not the critical path - the grid connection is. Securing a DNO offer for a multi-megawatt load, and completing any network reinforcement it triggers, commonly takes considerably longer than building the substation and quayside infrastructure. Realistic programmes are set from the grid connection date backwards, and we recommend starting the DNO application at feasibility stage rather than after design.

If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you who is

Talk to us about a shore power project

Port authorities, terminal operators and marine integrators - tell us the berth, the vessel profile and where you are with the grid connection, and we will tell you what is realistic.

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