Cavotec’s plug-in for improving air quality
Concern over air quality in ports has led to growing calls on the industry to reduce carbon and nitrogen dioxide emissions. Alternative Maritime Power, AMP™, or ‘cold ironing’, allows ships to turn off their engines when in port, and plug into shore-side electricity supply, thus helping to improve air quality in ports and surrounding communities.
Cavotec’s AMP™ systems can be fitted on ships, or, space permitting, on quaysides. Click on the above image to see a recent film – on Cavotec’s YouTube Film Channel – of a ship connecting to a Cavotec AMP™ system.
Vessels in port require electrical power to run their onboard systems such as heating, lighting, refrigerating containers and cargo handling. During a single port call, a 7,000 TEU container ship can emit sulphur oxide equivalent to 30,000 cars. While electricity produced by power stations and used by ships in port has 35 times less nitrate oxide and 25 times less particle matter compared to the heavy fuel normally used by ships when docked.
Interest in AMP™ continues to grow: there are currently some 200 operational AMP™ systems on ships, while the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Vancouver, Seattle, Antwerp, Goteborg, Stockholm and several others across northern Europe use the technology.
