The Carnival Spirit docked at Circular Quay. Picture: ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
NSW is charging up efforts to make the cruise industry cleaner with a $20 million project to enable all visiting ships to charge from land in Sydney.
The Shore Power project at the White Bay Cruise Terminal, Balmain, will build charging infrastructure so that ships no longer need to run their engines at dock to charge.
The news from the NSW Government comes as the summer cruise season kicks off in NSW. The Diamond Princess is due to arrive in Sydney Harbour this Thursday and the Pacific Adventure at White Bay on Friday.
Federal MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek says a promise made by Labor five years ago is being kept to the Balmain peninsula.
“This will be the first project of its kind in Australia and it will be run on renewables,” she says.
“Awarding the contract for the Shore Power equipment design, fabrication, supply and installation, marks a major milestone in this complex project.”
NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen says the delivery of shore power at White Bay Cruise Terminal will ensure less cruise ship pollution for generations.
“This will be the first major shore power infrastructure in southern hemisphere.
“The carbon emissions reduction this project at White Bay will achieve is equivalent to taking 1100 cars off Sydney’s roads or planting 20,000 trees each year,” he says.
Port Authority NSW CEO Philip Holliday says their focus is on delivering the project on time.
Shore Power is estimated to reduce emissions associated with the White Bay precinct by over 4000 tonnes every year, the government says.
The contract for the project, at White Bay berth 5, was awarded to Powercon. Initial work is due to begin by the end of 2024 with a target completion date of late 2026.
Once operational, it will be mandatory for any ship docked at the White Bay Cruise Terminal to use shore power if available.
Most ships that use White Bay are already shore power enabled, according to the government.
