The Lithuanian port city of Klaipėda is driving forward the country’s energy transition: RoRo ferries will be able to use shore-side electricity at the first quays as early as next year.
The contract for the installation of the infrastructure has now been signed. Container and cruise ships are also set to benefit from this by 2028.
“The port of Klaipėda is changing its face,” said Algis Latakas, CEO of the port authority. “The electrification of the quays is not only a modern technology, but also a clear commitment to the city, the community and the environment. Just imagine: Ships docking at the quays emit neither smoke nor noise – they use green electricity instead of fuel. The signed contract is the first concrete step towards this vision.”
Three stations that supply RoRo ferries with electricity will be installed at the Klaipėda Central Terminal. Another will follow in the southern part of the port. All are due to be commissioned in 2026.
Klaipėda plans 100% sustainable shore power
The successful bidder, energy company UAB Vakarų Resta, has been commissioned to prepare the design, carry out the construction work on the foundations for the substations and prepare the infrastructure for laying the cables from the substations to the quays. This work should be completed by May, with a contract value of €238,000.
After the implementation of this infrastructure project, the Port of Klaipėda plans to purchase electricity from suppliers that generate it from renewable sources – wind and solar energy. The quay electrification project is partly funded under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) transport program. EU funding of €8.6 million has been earmarked for the project, which is worth around €11 million. The electrification of the quays is also planned for those quays where container ships and cruise ships as well as the fleet of the Port of Klaipėda dock. The entire project to electrify the port quays is scheduled for completion in 2028.
Other ports are also preparing to use shore-side electricity, in some cases with EU funding. These include Aarhus, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Bremerhaven, in which a total of €20 million is being invested in the expansion. As the largest German port, Hamburg is also significantly expanding its shore power capacities: While the cruise terminals have been drawing electricity from the quays for some time now, the first connections for container ships have recently followed.
