The NSW government has pumped $20 million into a construction project at White Bay Cruise Terminal in Balmain in a bid to make docked cruise ships greener.
Construction will soon start on the landmark Shore Power project in Sydney’s inner-west which will provide cruise ships with electric chargers so engines can be switched off while docked.
The new powered ports will offer ships a landside charger which will result in fewer emissions and less noise pollution at one of the country’s busiest ports.
Shore Power is predicted to reduce emissions by over 4000 tonnes every year at White Bay, meaning less noise and cleaner air for Balmain and Rozelle residents.
The $20 contract was awarded to Danish company Powercon and work is set to begin by late 2024.
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The electric port is slated to be operational by 2026 and it will be mandatory for any ship at White Bay to use shore power.
The majority of ships that stop at White Bay are already shore power-enabled.
It will be the first of its kind in Australia.
In Europe, all essential ports will have to use shoreside electricity by 2030.
NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the project was a positive step towards making the cruise ship industry cleaner for the environment.
“This will be the first major shore power infrastructure in southern hemisphere and the carbon emissions reduction this project at White Bay will achieve is equivalent to taking 1100 cars off Sydney’s roads or planting 20,000 trees each year,” she said.
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said Balmain residents had waited “far too long” for an answer to the noise and environment pollution from cruise ships docked in White Bay.
