The European Investment Bank is lending €90 million to the Port of Rotterdam Authority to install shore power facilities at three deep-sea container terminals in the Dutch port.
The loan will finance Rotterdam Shore Power, a joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Dutch energy company Eneco, the EIB announced on Monday.
The work includes a grid connection, cabling and associated construction and excavation. A total of eight kilometres of quay will be equipped with shore power, with 35 connection points for seagoing container vessels.
The project is also eligible for a European Commission grant of around €70 million under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, part of the Connecting Europe Facility programme.
Shore power allows ships to plug into the onshore electricity grid while alongside, rather than running onboard engines or fossil-fuel generators to supply electricity for onboard systems, the bank said.
Shore power rollout planned from 2028
The installations are expected to be delivered and brought into operation in phases from the second half of 2028, according to the European Investment Bank.
Large container ships still rely on engines or fossil-fuel generators in port, producing CO₂ emissions, noise and particulate emissions.
EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot said connecting large container ships to shore power would reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Vivienne de Leeuw, chief financial officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said shore power would support the port’s goal of climate-neutral operations by 2050.
