The Port of Southampton has opened its shore power facility for use.

It means that shore power-enabled cruise ships – such as AIDA Cruises’ new AIDAcosma and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 – can now plug in at the port’s Horizon Cruise Terminal and Mayflower Cruise Terminal for emission-free berthing.

Further ships, such as Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Beyond, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Prima, will also be able to use the system once they launch.

The project cost £9m and was supported by a grant from the Solent Local Growth Deal, arranged through the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership.

Shore power a step forward for decarbonisation

ABP head of cruise Rebekah Keeler said: “We are delighted to have reached this exciting milestone and we are looking forward to working with multiple cruise lines this year as they plug in for zero emissions at berth and make tangible progress towards their own decarbonisation goals. A massive thank you to our teams, partners and customers for all their work so far.”

Maritime minister Robert Courts added: “[This is] yet another significant milestone in the journey to decarbonising the maritime sector.

“As we work towards building a green maritime legacy, it’s amazing to see ports such as ABP’s Port of Southampton leading by example to utilise clean maritime technologies for a greener port and better air quality. They’ve done a brilliant job with their shore power facility for cruise ships.”