Keywords

1 Shoreside Power and the Significance for Emission Reduction

As with all other transport modes, inland navigation is confronted with the changing climate and the required adaptation measures to support climate change mitigation and adaptation. Addressing the issue of climate change is a political top priority.

In their Declaration signed in Mannheim on 17 October 2018, the so-called Mannheim Declaration [1], the transport ministers of the Member States of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR - Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland) also reasserted the objective of largely eliminating greenhouse gases and other pollutants by 2050.

To further improve the environmental sustainability of inland navigation on the Rhine and inland waterways, the Mannheim Declaration tasked the CCNR to develop a roadmap to:

  • reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35% compared with 2015 by 2035,

  • reduce pollutant emissions by at least 35% compared with 2015 by 2035, and

  • largely eliminate greenhouse gases and other pollutants by 2050.

However, these targets for protecting the environment and climate concern not only inland navigation vessels’ propulsion systems, but also the on-board power supply for operating machinery, for example when at berth. Furthermore, conflicts over berths in city centres demonstrate that joint efforts are required to reduce or largely eliminate both pollutant and noise emissions.

2 The Role of Berths for Inland Navigation

A berth is a designated location in a port, terminal or along the waterway used for mooring vessels. Berths provide safe mooring and facilitate embarking and disembarking for the crews and family members, as well as the loading and unloading of their cars. They are thus important elements of the inland navigation system. In addition to the economic aspects, they also have an important role for the social sustainability of inland navigation. Contrary to maritime navigation, inland vessels are often operated by entrepreneurs who live with their family on board the vessel in private accommodation. To ease social life participation for the crews and their families, berths should not only be equipped with gangways and car dropping facilities, but also be connected to public transport and offer services such as the internet, communication and shore power as well fresh water supplies and waste disposal at strategic locations.

3 The Role of Electricity in Rhine and Inland Navigation

3.1 Electricity for Propulsion

The CCNR roadmap [3] outlines transition pathways for the fleet (existing and newbuilds), addressing the roles that will be played by different technological solutions in the energy transition challenge. For the propulsion of the vessel, it is expected that battery electric propulsion will become important, for example for ferries, but also for smaller motor cargo and tanker vessels. Providing shore power at berths is thus one element among others in the CCNR roadmap towards eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from inland navigation by 2050. Indeed, measures must be taken on shore to deliver these new energy carriers, notably electricity!

3.2 Electricity for Vessel Operation at Berth

The CCNR noted that, at more and more berths along the Rhine, energy generation with on-board diesel generators are no longer welcome for pollutant and noise emission reasons. The CCNR has responded by amending the Rhine Police Regulations (RPR) with a new mandatory sign, thus enabling competent local authorities to target and avoid possible emissions (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.
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New mandatory sign in article 7.06 of the RPR

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Vessels berthed where the sign is displayed are required to use either emission-free onboard systems such as battery packs or connect to shore power. While at berth, the boat master is required to cover all the electrical power requirements from this shore-based power system. Whether this sign is displayed or not is for the competent local authorities to decide. These authorities can provide for variations whereby, for example, this obligation only applies at night.

The requirements for shore power facilities differ depending on which types of vessels are connected. Passenger vessels, in particular cabin vessels, have the highest energy demand and therefore require other installations than, for example, dry cargo vessels. The difference in energy demand is high as are the requirements on the shore power connection infrastructure.

4 Standards and Gaps – Important Aspects to Address

The CCNR has assessed the status of the development of shore-side and ship-side European standards. Stakeholders have highlighted that not only an international standardisation of the shore power connection is necessary, but equally a standardisation of the operating and payment system, and a closing of the standardisation gaps that still exist in their view, for example for electrical connections with currents between 125 and 250 amperes.

Currently the following standards and gaps exist in Europe:

  • Connection systems (EN 15869-1:2019 up to 125 amps and EN 16840:2017 from 250 amps) - but there is no standard for currents between 125 and 250 amps. Other proprietary standards also exist, for example, the Powerlock system used for supply of vessels with higher energy demand, such as cabin vessels at berth.

  • Operation of shoreside power connections - no uniform concept exists. The standard EN 15869-1:2019 only stipulates that an instruction manual must be attached externally. However, the shoreside power connections differ in their form and handling. There is a need to agree on a harmonized concept at least for handling of shoreside power infrastructure.

  • Payment system - standards exist but no uniform concept for paying or respectively billing. Various payment systems exist in parallel, such as prepaid cards, debit and credit cards, fleet cards with RFID technology as well as apps and websites. There is a need to agree on a commonly accepted payment method (Figs. 2 and 3).

Fig. 2.
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© Port of Switzerland)

Powerlock system (

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Fig. 3.
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© North Sea Port)

EN 15,869 type system (

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5 Implementation of Shoreside Power – Important Aspects to Consider

There is a need for public policy to put infrastructure into place. This policy needs to address funding and financing issues to support the implementation, but also the location of such facilities to achieve an appropriate distribution along a corridor. In addition, the formation of partnerships for the development of a harmonised network of shoreside electricity connections has been proposed. Hence, activities should be organised to collect and share experiences from implemented pilot projects. The dialogue between providers and users should be continued in order to achieve a coordinated implementation, especially at river basin or, respectively, at corridor level.

There is a need for clarification on operational, technical and practical aspects, not only among users, but also among providers of shore power:

  • Exchange of information at the ship/shore interface. The ship-side requirements and boundary conditions must be mutually considered and jointly developed with those of the shore-side infrastructure.

  • It might often be unclear whether sufficient electricity can be offered at the berth. This depends crucially on the shoreside electricity grid and the energy supplier.

  • Availability of shoreside power infrastructure is not only the mere presence of a shoreside power connection, but also its reliable functioning and provision of services, for example help in fixing system malfunctions.

  • Systems for shoreside power connections should be designed in such a way that they might also be used as a platform for other services, e.g. to manage drinking water, waste disposal and access to the internet.

Focus shall also be also placed on the users of the shoreside electricity infrastructure. Special requirements for the qualification of crew members (e.g. minimum qualification regarding electrical equipment, training in first aid) should be defined if not already stipulated as, for example, in the European standard ES-QIN. Connecting and operating the shoreside power system is an activity that the personnel must be introduced to by means of instruction or training. Occupational health aspects must be taken into account in advance when drawing up a job description. Cables are not only laid and connected during the day, but also in bad weather conditions, e.g. in darkness, rain and cold.

6 Conclusions – Important Elements for the Way Ahead

In 2022, the CCNR organised a workshop [4], in cooperation with viadonau, to jointly advance the interests of Rhine navigation and European inland navigation, on the topic of regional coordinated implementation. As a platform for dialogue with stakeholders, the workshop provided important impulses on the various issues and initiated discussions among all those involved in waterway transport.

There is consensus among the representatives of the inland navigation sector that berths must be thought of as a part of the overall inland navigation system. Berths have an important role for navigation, especially for the crew. In this context, people’s needs should be placed at the centre of the inland navigation system.

As an important milestone, the CCNR drafted an action plan. It focusses on the above identified elements of standardisation, availability, implementation, provider as well as user aspects and proposed short-, medium- and long-term supporting measures, such as:

  • Clarification of the identified gap in the standards in coordination with competent standardisation institutions.

  • Collection of good practice examples of operating concepts to be added to CCNR’s collection of examples of berths [2].

  • Continuation of the dialogue in the form of workshops or round tables to identify further standardisation needs and exchange with standardisation institutions with regard to the ship/shore interface.

Further developments in inland navigation will require the implementation of a monitoring of the required electric currents, in particular related to the emerging battery-electric propulsion systems since the charging of batteries has a higher energy demand than for the operation of vessels at berth. There are two possible solutions to charge batteries, either at shore (exchange of battery containers at berth) or quick charging at locks or berths. The latter creates a high load for the energy grid and is thus to be developed in close coordination with energy producers and grid providers.

Battery-electric propulsion systems and accumulators for self-sufficient power supply bear the risk that shoreside power connections might become a bridging technology. The vessels energy demand for the operation at berth could be met by the onboard batteries. Thus, a shoreside power infrastructure may no longer be required.

To avoid dead-end investments, shoreside power infrastructure should be planned in the most flexible way and as service-oriented as possible to allow adaptation to future needs, such as a service platform. These service platforms could then not only be used for shoreside power but also for giving access to water, internet, communication and other services.

A great deal of complex work lies ahead for the decision-makers and planners of the Rhineriver. The challenges should be tackled as a whole and the solutions coordinated at international and interdisciplinary levels. Inland navigation plays an important role in globally mitigating climate change and must therefore be fully supported.