CARNIVAL AUSTRALIA AND PORT AUTHORITY OF NSW SIGN LETTER OF INTENT FOR SHIPS AT WHITE BAY CRUISE TERMINAL TO USE SHORE POWER DERIVED FROM CERTIFIABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY

NSW Transport Minister David Elliot announces the
White Bay Cruise Terminal shore power initiative

Australia’s main cruise organisation, Carnival Australia, representing seven distinctive cruise lines including P&O Cruises Australia, has joined the Port Authority of NSW in signing a letter of intent for cruise ships using White Bay Cruise Terminal to connect to shore power derived from certifiable renewable energy.

The Port Authority project to progressively install shore power infrastructure at the cruise terminal and each of the four major commercial berths at Glebe Island is an element of the NSW Government’s Bays Precinct urban renewal project involving a 95-hectare site on Sydney Harbour’s western fringe.

Carnival Australia has embraced the shift to shore power at White Bay, demonstrating its local commitment to environmental protection. This is in line with being part of a global organisation that is committed to strong sustainability goals including achieving net carbon neutral ship operations by 2050.

Marguerite Fitzgerald, President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia, said a number of factors made shore power at White Bay an attractive solution.

“Importantly, P&O, as one of the major users of the White Bay Cruise Terminal, now has a fleet comprised entirely of shore power ready ships,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“Particularly significant is that the Port Authority is accessing 100 per cent certifiable renewable energy for its shore power capability.

“Carnival Australia is part of a global organisation that has achieved ambitious sustainability goals and continues to set strong targets. It has a proud record of embracing environmentally friendly technology including Advanced Air Quality Systems and pioneering the introduction of LNG-powered cruise ships.

“The use of shore power is now routine for our ships at 21 locations around the world such as Alaska, other North American ports in the US and Canada and also in Europe and China.

“The Port Authority of NSW’s shore power project will be warmly received by our guests and crew who share our high expectations when it comes to embracing and practising sustainability.

“Having our shore power ready ships access this new capability in Sydney will be seen as another sign of our global and local commitment to protecting the marine and natural environment. It shows how we put sustainability front and centre in everything that we do.”

The letter of intent says the signatories:
“Are committed to achieving sustainable outcomes, and our collective goal will achieve demonstrable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions helping to achieve NSW’s emission reduction targets. Allowing visiting ships to shut down their engines while at berth will also ensure that ships can continue the century-long tradition of berthing within Sydney Harbour to deliver passengers and essential goods to Sydney as part of a broader approach to further improving the Bays Precinct.”

The Port Authority intends to progressively install shore power infrastructure at the White Bay Cruise Terminal and each of the four major commercial berths at Glebe Island. The first shore power installation is expected to be in use by 2024.

About Shore Power
Plugging into shore power — ‘cold ironing’ as it is still known in international shipping — involves infrastructure that provides shoreside electrical power while a ship is berthed eliminating the need for it to operate fuel-burning auxiliary engines. Cold ironing is not a new concept in shipping. It dates back to a much earlier era when ships were powered by coal-fired engines that were constructed from iron. Connecting to shoreside power meant a berthed ship’s fire no longer needed to be fed. The engine could cool down, hence the term ‘cold ironing’.