China picks seven terminals to undergo cold ironing trials

This article was written by By Lee Hong Liang on www.seatrade-maritime.com. According to Lee, China’s ministry of transport has selected seven terminals across the country to carry out trials on shoreside power, or cold ironing, for ships at berth. The Chinese government has asked the relevant local authorities to make the importnat preparations to start the cold ironing trials and to closely monitor the tests.

The seven terminals slated to undergo the cold ironing trials are Lianyungang’s new eastern zone container terminal berth number 27 and a passenger berth to be tested by vessel Zi Yu Lan, Guangzhou port’s Nansha zone terminal, Shenzhen’s Yantian international container terminal three, Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal number one berth, Ningbo-Zhoushan Chuanshan port’s container terminal to be tested by Cosco’s 10,000-teu containership and the dry bulk terminal to be tested by Shandong Shipping’s 250,000-dwt iron ore carrier.

It was reported earlier that the cold ironing trial run for Shanghai’s Wusongkou cruise terminal will start in September.

The ministry of transport stated that by the end of 2016, all trials must have been completed and reports of the results will need to be submited by the local authorities, summing up the efficiency of the technology in reducing emissions, ease of installation works, operational management, among others.

Ships plugging into electricity through the use of shoreside power facilities can reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 99%, while particulate matter emissions would only be at 3-17% compared to the use of auxiliary engines burning high-sulphur content bunker fuel, according to a survey conducted by Chinese authorities.