€12 million contract awarded for electrification of cruise liner berths in Grand Harbour

Nidec ASI, head of the Nidec Industrial Solutions platform belonging to the Nidec Group, has signed a €12 million contract with the Maltese company Excel Sis for the creation of a “shore-to-ship” project for Grand Harbour.

The project will make it possible for cruise ships moored at the five berths to draw from the island’s energy grid the power they require to be fully operative, without having to keep their polluting on-board diesel engines running.

This innovative system will make it possible to reduce the emissions of pollutant gases by over 40 tons a year, the equivalent of continuous circulation of over four million vehicles, and will contribute to creating the basis for a more eco-friendly and innovative relaunching of tourism, a key sector in the Maltese economy.

The project complies with the necessity of following European Union directives which encourage ports to adopt berth electrification systems (shore-to-ship) to reduce polluting emissions of vessels in the port, while maintaining active heating and air conditioning, as well as vessel auxiliary systems.

By 2025, this recommendation will become binding for all European ports and it has also been included in the EU Recovery Plan which places reducing environmental impact among the priorities in relaunching European countries.