The Grimaldi terminal ferries will be able to connect to electricity in January

New step towards the electrification of the Port of Barcelona's docks. The first Onshore Power Supply (OPS) system that will allow ferries to plug into the electrical grid has already arrived in the city. The port's forecast is that it will be operational in January at the Grimaldi terminal on the Sant Bertran dock, the closest to the city.

With this system, ferries calling at the commercial dock will be able to stop their engines and operate solely through electricity provided via the OPS, which will reduce the emissions emitted by ships when they are docked in port.

The OPS, developed by Vinci Energies Spain, will serve two ferry berths at the terminal. With an initial power of 4 MVA, expandable up to 6.5 MVA, it has been designed to adapt the voltage and frequency to the specific needs of each ship.

Before the system's arrival, the medium voltage line was brought to the terminal and the OPS connections were deployed. Its assembly will be completed by mid-December with the arrival of a cable system specifically designed to integrate into the terminal's operations, which will provide flexibility to connect to various ferries.

To install this system, the Port of Barcelona signed an agreement two years ago to develop the OPS with Grimaldi, which has adapted the ships that dock at the Barcelona terminal to ensure compatibility with the system.

"With the OPS for ferries, we will not only make port activity more sustainable, but we will also contribute to improving the air quality of the city and reducing noise where we can have the most impact, on the docks closest to the city center," defended the president of the Port of Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell.

For his part, the CEO of Grimaldi in Spain, Mario Massarotti, assured that "this is another step towards a zero-emission operation for all our ferries calling at Barcelona."

As in the case of the OPS at the Best terminal in the Port of Barcelona, the first in the Mediterranean at a container terminal, the Grimaldi terminal system will operate for the first two years in a pilot phase, with the aim of understanding the needs generated by the terminal and Port operators, to continue advancing in its electrification.