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The Port of Rotterdam has added another shore power location to its growing emissions reduction network, allowing vessels berthed at Parkkade to switch off onboard diesel generators while alongside in the city center.
The new facility, officially opened on Wednesday by Rotterdam port alderman Robert Simons and Berte Simons, COO of Port of Rotterdam Authority, is designed to reduce air pollution, carbon emissions, and noise levels in one of the city’s busiest waterfront areas.
The installation provides shore power access for four sea going vessels simultaneously across four deep sea berths and one inland shipping berth. Ships can also berth alongside each other, giving operators additional flexibility during busy periods.
For residents living near the riverfront, the difference is expected to be immediate. Instead of the steady background noise of auxiliary engines running around the clock, berthed vessels can now draw electricity directly from the local grid. In practical terms, it works much like plugging a truck into an external power source rather than leaving the engine idling overnight.
“Decarbonization is often discussed as something for the future, but shore power is something we can implement today,” Robert Simons said during the opening ceremony. “With shore power at Parkkade, Rotterdam is taking another concrete step toward a cleaner and quieter port city.”
For the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the project forms part of a wider transition strategy that increasingly focuses on balancing industrial growth with environmental pressure inside urban areas.
“Shore power is an essential building block in the transition toward a future proof port,” Berte Simons said. “With this facility at Parkkade, vessels can directly reduce their emissions while in the city. Together with our partners, we are working toward a port that remains economically strong while becoming increasingly sustainable.”
Existing tunnel infrastructure avoids new grid connection
One of the more unusual aspects of the project is how the power supply was arranged.
Rather than constructing a separate electricity substation in the protected historical area surrounding Parkkade, engineers connected the shore power system to the existing electrical infrastructure of the Maastunnel. The technical installations are housed within basement levels of the tunnel’s ventilation building.
The approach allowed the project to move forward despite ongoing grid congestion challenges across the Netherlands, where increasing electricity demand continues to complicate new industrial connections.
In emergency situations, electricity supply to the Maastunnel will always take priority over the shore power system.
After final testing of the tunnel linked power connection, vessels are expected to begin using the facility in the near term.
The project itself began in 2022 with feasibility studies, planning work, and subsidy applications led by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Funding was provided primarily by the port authority, with additional contributions from the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Dutch national government.
Rotterdam accelerates broader shore power strategy
The Parkkade development adds to a growing list of shore power projects across Rotterdam’s port complex.
Cruise vessels already use shore power facilities at Wilhelminakade, inland shipping operators have access to multiple shore connections, and offshore installations near Rozenburg are also connected to the network. Agreements have additionally been signed for shore power installations at container terminals on Maasvlakte 2.
Last year, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority jointly presented an updated shore power strategy covering the 2025 to 2035 period.
The long term objective is clear. Rotterdam wants shore power to become standard for a significant share of shipping traffic by 2030, with the broader ambition of enabling emission free berthing operations by 2050.
Yet the expansion also highlights a growing challenge facing ports throughout Europe. As shipping electrification accelerates, electricity demand along the waterfront increases sharply at the same time national grids are already under pressure from industry, transport, and housing.
To address those concerns, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Dutch grid operators, and industry association Deltalinqs have established the New Energy Taskforce. The group is focused on identifying solutions for grid congestion, including future power supply requirements linked to shore power expansion.
