The BEST OPS cuts ship emissions by more than 2,300 tonnes of CO2 in its first year

Today marks one year since the MSC Mette, one of the world's largest container ships, was connected to the Onshore Power Supply (OPS) system at the Port of Barcelona's BEST terminal. The OPS supplied it with 100% renewable energy, allowing it to cut its engines while berthed, thus generating no emissions. It was the first time that an operation of this nature had been carried out in a Mediterranean port, since which time it has been repeated thirty times, averting the emission of 2,310 tonnes of CO2. 

This year, the OPS has supplied almost 3.4 million kWh of renewable energy to the container ships that have moored at the BEST terminal, the vast majority of which have a capacity of 24,000 TEUs, but also to a ship with a 5,000 TEU capacity, demonstrating the adaptability of the system. Likewise, the ships that connected were mostly from the shipping company MSC, but connections have also been made to CMA CGM vessels. 

The first anniversary of the BEST OPS's entry into operation also marks the culmination of the two years in which it will operate in a pilot phase. During this time, these connections, as well as reducing emissions, allow the Port of Barcelona to gather real-time data and analyse the challenges posed by its connection to the electricity grid, to optimise this service. In this sense, the thirty connections made so far have prioritised maximising the connection time of each ship, speeding up the connection as much as possible and integrating it into the ensemble of operations performed each time a ship docks, such as mooring or positioning the terminal cranes for loading and unloading. The average duration of connections was 54 hours, with the longest connection exceeding 91 hours, a record at a European level. 

“This year we have launched the OPS system on 30 occasions with 17 different ships. This has meant a continuous learning process. The most important thing is that we have managed to integrate a very complex and innovative operation within our existing operations, always prioritising safety and efficiency. We have optimised processes, improved procedures, coordinated the various parties involved and shared information in real time. We have laid the foundations so that next year we can continue to advance, seeking excellence and reducing ship emissions to the maximum, so that vessels spend most of the time they are in port connected, with their engines off", explained Ana Arévalo, head of the Shorepower department at the Port of Barcelona. 

The anniversary of the first connection to the BEST OPS marks a new milestone in the roll-out of the Nexigen Plan, which in the coming years will electrify the main wharves of the Port of Barcelona to improve the air quality in their surroundings. Once the roll-out phase of the pilot OPS at BEST and Grimaldi Terminal Barcelona, the ferry terminal on Sant Bertran pier, was completed, work began to build the first OPS for cruise ships at the MSC terminal, as well as the construction of the new Port substation and the rolling out of a new medium-voltage network that will allow energy to be delivered to all the wharves where OPS systems will be installed.