Three cruiseships on shore power for the first time

-This is a very positive development and an important step towards an emission-free port, says director Michal Forland in the Port of Bergen.

The connection took place on Sunday, May 26, when Sky Princess, Viking Mars, and Viking Star visited Bergen.

The shore power facility for cruise ships is the largest in Europe, and three ships can connect at the same time. The facility was ready before the pandemic, and as cruise traffic gradually picked up again after the pandemic, most of the ships have been adapted to receive shore power.

However, extensive testing and trials have made it difficult to connect three ships simultaneously, but this week it worked out.

-More and more ships are now using electricity instead of diesel while docked in the port, says Michal Forland. Since 2019, Bergen has been spared 53,000 tons of CO2 emissions because the ships use shore power.

In April this year, 65 percent of the cruise ships visiting Bergen, connect to shore power in the port, a record for this year. The goal for 2024 is for at least 50 percent of the ships to use shore power when they visit Bergen. From 2026, it is expected that all cruise ships will use shore power.