With ABB’s shore connection technology, three Corsica Linea ferries will cut emissions and noise pollution when berthed in the Port of Marseille, France.

Instead of running diesel-fuelled auxiliary engines the ferries Paglia Orba, Jean Nicoli and Pascal Paoli will use electricity for power at the berth. Each of the three vessels is being modified to feature ABB’s power compensation device Dynacomp, which allows electricity available from the local grid in Marseille to be stepped down to 11KV in order to take care of ship power needs while in port.

Jean Nicoli is illustrated here with the kind assistance of Corsica Linea / ABB ©. 

In the words of Ludovic Amouroux, Project Manager, Corsica Linea: ‘ABB shore connection technology enables the type of emissions-free ship power that regulators, ports and local residents increasingly demand. With ABB’s proven technology, Paglia Orba, Jean Nicoli and Pascal Paoli will be emissions-free when berthed in Marseille. We estimate we will use between 7MWh and 11 MWh of zero-emission power per call, depending on the vessel.’

Jyri Jusslin, Head of Service, ABB Marine & Ports added: ‘Decision-makers in the ferry sector like Corsica Linea continue to lead on zero-emission shore power, proving that existing vessels can significantly reduce environmental impact with technology that is available to shipowners today. We are delighted to offer our turnkey shore connection solution to meet Corsica Linea’s shoreside power needs.’

This project covers the supply and shipboard installation of electrical, mechanical and automation systems to enable shore power connection. On the shore side, ABB will deliver a custom-designed cable management system on the quay at Marseille, it is understood.

These three Corsica Linea ferries carrying vehicles and passengers connect Marseille and Corsica, for 48 weeks of the year.

Installation of ABB’s shore connection technology in one of the ferries, Paglia Orba, is currently underway, while the two remaining vessels will be connected to shore power in 2020.

Worldwide, ferries transport 2.1 billion passengers and 250 million vehicles every year, according to trade association Interferry. With increasing passenger volumes, the ferry industry is under pressure to meet the IMO target of reducing annual emissions by 30% by 2025.

After France presented an impact assessment to IMO in late 2018, momentum is building to designate the Mediterranean Sea as an Emissions Control Area where stricter controls are in place to minimize emissions from ships.

It has been reported that the Port of Marseille’s efforts to reduce emissions include participation within the EU-funded CLIMEPORT greenhouse gas initiative, while Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPPM) has also built the infrastructure at two berths to facilitate shore side power connections.

About ABB

ABB with a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years has four customer-focused, global leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation. It is understood that ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB with about 147,000 employees operates in more than 100 countries.