All Major Ports on the Yangtze River in Hubei Equipped with Shore Power Facilities

Shore power facilities now cover all major ports on the Yangtze River in Hubei after three years of efforts, according to the latest news from State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company on December 22.

Since 2019, State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company has installed 259 sets of shore power facilities along the Yangtze River. All put into operation by now, the facilities have provided power to ships for 4,545 times with electricity of 10.58GWh, cutting fuel consumption by 2,486 metric tons. Besides “zero emission”, ships can save a third of energy costs when berthing.

General view of shore power facilities at Zigui Port in Hubei

In recent years, State Grid implements decisions of the central government to serve the ecological governance of the Yangtze River basin and the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company carries out plans of State Grid, and advances technical research and pilot application. It has installed shore power facilities for all major ports on the Yangtze River in Hubei within three years.

The Yangtze River basin, dotted with ports, has sophisticated water systems. In the past, ships had to use diesel generators when they docked. That produced about 35% of the total carbon emissions of ports.

In 2017, State Grid, the Ministry of Transport, and the National Energy Administration signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement to jointly promote the application of shore power. A cooperative working mechanism was thus established among State Grid, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, the National Energy Administration, Hubei Provincial People’s Government, and China Three Gorges Corporation, focusing on the construction of the Three Gorges Shore Power Development Experimental Zone.

The parties have worked together to overcome a number of worldwide technical challenges, making the Three Gorges Shore Power Development Experimental Zone a model of shore power application that can be duplicated and popularized. On April 26, 2019, a meeting to advance the construction of the experimental zone and shore power facilities along the Yangtze River was held in Yichang, Hubei Province, stepping up efforts toward the completion of all projects .

 Workers from Hubei Yichang Power Supply Company providing access to shore power for cruise ships

There are more than 140 ports on the Yangtze River in Hubei. State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company has introduced six kinds of shore power systems suitable for different ships, docking modes and hydrological conditions, namely, the fixed shore-based power supply system, the floating shore-based power supply system, the fixed offshore power supply system, the floating offshore power supply system, the “waterway service center” comprehensive energy support system, and the “ship power bank” charging and switching service system.

“In the past, diesel engines were used to power the machinery for cargo loading and unloading, with so much noise and black smoke around,” said Li Xingheng, leader of the operations and maintenance team of Yichang Yangtze River Three Gorges Shore Power Operation Service Co., Ltd., “now, there is no more pollution and the environment gets better.”

Shore power is known for its economic and environmental benefits. In early December, all shore power facilities in Huanggang of Hubei were put into operation. It’s predicted by Huanggang Power Supply Company that all those facilities could increase shore power consumption by 6GWh every year, equivalent to reducing 1,200 metric tons of fuel consumption, and help ship owners save CNY 4 million on energy costs. “702 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and 7.56 metric tons of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions can be reduced every year,” said the marketing director of Huanggang Power Supply Company.

In the next stage, State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company will creatively promote and operate shore power. It will make use of the shared smart operation platform and the port dispatching data platform to analyze energy used by different ship equipment, so as to provide ships with diversified energy services, and make contributions to Yangtze River protection and the green development of shipping.