North Sea Port opens new pier with shore power for river cruises in Ghent
The first vessel to dock at the pier was the cruise ship Amavenita from the shipping company Rivertech. It was a festive occasion for the ship’s captain and its 146 passengers. Measuring 135 metres in length and 11.45 metres in width, the vessel was securely moored at the new pier.
The new pier itself is 85 metres long and 6 metres wide. In addition, four mooring piles have been installed for safe docking and securing of ships. The pier is equipped with four shore power units, allowing cruise ships to turn off their diesel engines, thereby significantly reducing CO2 emissions, fine particles, nitrogen, and sulphur.
Four ships on shore power
With the commissioning of the new pier, new regulations also apply in the Ghent section of North Sea Port. Peter Van Parys, COO of North Sea Port, explains: “River cruise ships are now required to dock here and connect to shore power. Additionally, a maximum of four ships may berth at the same time - two on each side of the pier. With this investment, North Sea Port strengthens its position as a sustainable port in Europe.”
"No more roaring engines at the Rigakaai," says Sofie Bracke, Vice-President of North Sea Port and Alderman for the Port and Tourism in Ghent. "With this investment, we reduce both the noise pollution from the ships and the emission of harmful substances such as CO2." Each river cruise ship that connects to shore power saves 1.2 tonnes of CO2. Over the course of a cruise season in Ghent, with around 400 registered river cruises, this amounts to a reduction of 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The construction work began in May last year. Most of the work was carried out from the water to minimise disruption to the surrounding area. The project was executed by Van der Straaten Aannemingsbedrijf.
North Sea Port extends its gratitude to Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport, BENEFIC (European Connections), the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works, and the City of Ghent for their financial support and contributions towards the realisation of the pier.
