Shore side power

[sowhat]

Which of the Royal Caribbean fleet have the capability of connecting  to shore side power and switching off their main generating power engines while  in port ?

[ReneeFLL]

I thought I knew the answer, but after researching I believe I was wrong and couldn’t find the answers.

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by ReneeFLL

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, sowhat said:

Which of the Royal Caribbean fleet have the capability of connecting  to shore side power and switching off their main generating power engines while  in port ?

Navigator may have that as sailings out of CA usually require it. 

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, sowhat said:

Which of the Royal Caribbean fleet have the capability of connecting  to shore side power and switching off their main generating power engines while  in port ?

May I ask why you want to know?  Basically, only those ships that call, or have called, regularly in California have shore power connections.

[taglovestocruise]

50 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

May I ask why you want to know?  Basically, only those ships that call, or have called, regularly in California have shore power connections.

Curious as to the cost for hookup and electrical use. I read that a large cruise ship could pay as much as $2500 per day. What would be the cost of running on diesel for 12 hours in port.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Curious as to the cost for hookup and electrical use. I read that a large cruise ship could pay as much as $2500 per day. What would be the cost of running on diesel for 12 hours in port.

Virtually every terminal has a different rate structure, and getting updated rates seems to be difficult.  But, from a few years ago, a California study showed that at the fuel prices at the time, operating the ship's generators would have been about $300k, and shore power at $400k, and this does not include the capital costs, or some of the port hourly rates that pay for the infrastructure.  Shore power is not a savings for the cruise lines, even at today's fuel prices, it is only used where the government requires it.  And, in California, Long Beach has "paused" shore power whenever there is an energy emergency, like a heat wave.  So, their infrastructure/grid is not totally capable of requiring shore power at all times.

 

Even at the best rates I could find, about $.38/kwh, for about 8000kw (typical hotel load), this would be about $3000 per hour, or about $36k for a turn-around port call (12 hours).

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by chengkp75

[Poolguyaz]

Interesting subject. I read one article that said the Royal Group had 4 ships capable.

I know Apex was built with it. I don't see anything that points to a particular ship in the RC line.

[Biker19]

Add Freedom to the list of ships having shore power capability:

PortMiami starts shore power to major cruise lines | Miami Herald

 

Edited June 18 by Biker19

[Engineroom Snipe]

New York City, NY, Council voted to instigate the start of shore power for cruise ships this year in March but the wording was very "elastic" with no absolute time lines as much as goals to work towards by the year "2035".

 

I saw it as more of a wish list trying to prepare and prod the cruise line users of the port for mandates to come. In so many words, if you are building new ships, start thinking of shore power.

 

As already mentioned in previous posts, the council does not even know how much power could be needed, who would supply it, and who pays for the infrastructure to make it available?

 

I can only see this as being funded by cruise ship passengers as additional port fees down the line.

[Saab4444]

Very late development in America, many European ports and ships are using shore power already for a while.This is very beneficial to reduce pollution in the cities while this big ships are docking.

Edited June 18 by Saab4444

[sowhat]

Anthem  of the Seas 

[orville99]

Any cruise ship that ports in Los Angeles is required to hook up to shore side power. We had to do this on Serenade last November on our turn around day.

[Engineroom Snipe]

I would be interested in the cost and time needed to retrofit existing ships.

 

Cruise lines would not have choice if mandated but I can see the lines trying to use older ships at ports not mandating the practice until they can be sold or scrapped.

[sie625]

On 9/7/2022 at 12:59 PM, sowhat said:

Which of the Royal Caribbean fleet have the capability of connecting  to shore side power and switching off their main generating power engines while  in port ?

I think the answer is, all of them CAN, whether they do or not is based on the different aspects discussed above. 

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I would be interested in the cost and time needed to retrofit existing ships.

 

Cruise lines would not have choice if mandated but I can see the lines trying to use older ships at ports not mandating the practice until they can be sold or scrapped.

Last I heard, a few years back, it was about $1 million/ship for shore power connection.

2 hours ago, sie625 said:

I think the answer is, all of them CAN, whether they do or not is based on the different aspects discussed above. 

No, they all can't.  Which is why, generally, cruise ships continue to run one of their main generators, even when in dry dock.  There is a connection for shore cooling water, but not for shore power.  

 

3 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

As already mentioned in previous posts, the council does not even know how much power could be needed, who would supply it, and who pays for the infrastructure to make it available?

Each cruise ship would need around 8-10Mw (million watts) of power, provided at 10,000 volts.  So, there is quite a bit of infrastructure needed to bring that amount of power, to the pier, and to have it at 10k volts (which is basically the line power at the top of the poles).  And, you need to have the grid capability to absorb that load whenever a ship is in port.  Cost is several million per berth.

[sowhat]

2 hours ago, sie625 said:

I think the answer is, all of them CAN, whether they do or not is based on the different aspects discussed above. 

Please supply the  information for which Royal Caribbean ships have shore side power connections retro fitted to them as I can not find any details

 

[chengkp75]

27 minutes ago, sowhat said:

Please supply the  information for which Royal Caribbean ships have shore side power connections retro fitted to them as I can not find any details

 

That's not the kind of information that is generally available to the public.  But, if a ship home ports, or calls at, a port that mandates shore power, then it will have the ability.  Generally, only those ships that are required to use shore power, will have it.  Shore power is not generally available at all cruise ports, it is mainly a West Coast and NYC thing, though it looks like Miami is joining in.

 

I'm wondering why you are interested.

Edited June 18 by chengkp75

[cruiselvr04]

I know Jewel does because she had shore power in Norway.  

[neverbeenhere]

Looks like it's time to make a list of ships and slowly check off the one's with shore power connections. If it helps, I have a really long lightning cable for my iPhone.

 

Jewel

Anthem

Navigator

Quantum(coming to CA soon)?

Icon

Freedom

Utopia

Newest Icon Class Ship

Edited June 18 by neverbeenhere

[chengkp75]

3 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

I know Jewel does because she had shore power in Norway.  

Which ports?

[Biker19]

30 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Which ports?

Aalesund and Kristiansand. 

The process seemed quite cumbersome in Alesund needing a whole truck to lay the cables..

Edited June 18 by Biker19

[twangster]

50 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

Looks like it's time to make a list of ships and slowly check off the one's with shore power connections. If it helps, I have a really long lightning cable for my iPhone.

 

Jewel

Anthem

Navigator

Quantum(coming to CA soon)?

Icon

Freedom

Utopia

Newest Icon Class Ship

 

Radiance has it.  Saw it used in LA in 2023 after a canal transit.

[twangster]

FWIW Vancouver has had shore power available since 2009 however it isn't mandatory.

 

They claim they were the 3rd port globally to make it available.

 

https://www.portvancouver.com/environmental-protection-at-the-port-of-vancouver/climate-action-at-the-port-of-vancouver/shore-power/

 

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Aalesund and Kristiansand. 

The process seemed quite cumbersome in Alesund needing a whole truck to lay the cables..

Actually, quite efficient, as the truck does the whole thing of storing the cables, rolling them out, and providing the arm to bring the cables to the ship.  Allows for various length ships and various positions of power hookups.

 

The picture of Anthem shows a dock arm supporting the cables, so there is one piece of equipment, and the cables need to be stored when not in use, so another truck to pick them up and take them to storage.

Edited June 18 by chengkp75

[GJustice]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Last I heard, a few years back, it was about $1 million/ship for shore power connection.

No, they all can't.  Which is why, generally, cruise ships continue to run one of their main generators, even when in dry dock.  There is a connection for shore cooling water, but not for shore power.  

 

Each cruise ship would need around 8-10Mw (million watts) of power, provided at 10,000 volts.  So, there is quite a bit of infrastructure needed to bring that amount of power, to the pier, and to have it at 10k volts (which is basically the line power at the top of the poles).  And, you need to have the grid capability to absorb that load whenever a ship is in port.  Cost is several million per berth.

I was just thinking, where's @chengkp75 and there you are!