Engines off, shore power on: Rotterdam's biggest clean energy bet

On a busy terminal at Maasvlakte II, a crane operator sits high above a quayside stacked with containers. Below, one of the world’s largest container vessels lies alongside, its diesel generators running at full tilt. The noise never stops. The air smells of fuel. On days when multiple ships are burning diesel at the same time - and the wind shifts to an unfavourable direction - the haze can turn toxic, exposing crane operators to polluted air and, at times, forcing work on the terminal to grind to a halt.

"That is a very concrete problem, which several terminals looking for a solution have brought to our attention" says Joyce van Heijningen, Manager Operations at Rotterdam Shore Power (RSP). "Crane operators literally have to put down their work because they are sitting in a poisonous fog." It is not the first argument people use when discussing the energy transition in shipping and ports. But it is one of the most human, and most urgent.

Shore power (‘walstroom’ in Dutch) offers a straightforward fix: plug a ship into the electricity grid at the quay. Switch off its generators, and the noise, smell and emissions stop immediately. The concept is not new. But what RSP is doing in Rotterdam is new in scale, ambition and business model. By the time their Maasvlakte II project is fully operational in early 2029, Rotterdam Shore Power will connect over 6,000 vessels annually.

Born from one company's idea

RSP's origin story does not begin with a strategy document, but with a single idea. Heerema Marine Contractors, whose enormous crane vessels moor at the Calandkanaal near Rozenburg, wanted to electrify their own quay. One reason for that was the fact that, in the Offshore industry, there is more and more pressure to cut emissions in the entire supply chain. If you can prove that you do that, you become a more attractive partner for your clients.

That idea, in 2019, directly led to the founding of Rotterdam Shore Power as a joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam Authority and utility company Eneco. The Heerema installation, powered by nearby wind turbines, delivers electricity equivalent to 15,000 households and eliminates 15,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. This gave RSP its proof of concept, and its founding purpose.

"Heerema stood at the cradle of Rotterdam Shore Power," says Tiemo Arkesteijn, Co-Director at RSP. "Their ambition became our mission." Thus, Rotterdam Shore Power was born. Both Arkesteijn and Van Heijningen came from the Port of Rotterdam bringing deep operational and commercial knowledge of the port environment and its clients.

Business model: turning CAPEX into a service

This is where RSP truly distinguishes itself. Terminals and shipowners do not invest in the infrastructure - RSP does. The company Designs, Builds, Finances, Operates and Maintains shore power installations end-to-end. The investment is recouped through the energy services over the contract lifetime. "The CAPEX sits with us," says Arkesteijn. "We convert it into OPEX for the client. The more ships use the installation, the lower the price per kilowatt-hour."

Removing barriers for shipowners

This DBFOM model - Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Maintain - removes the biggest barrier to adoption: upfront investment risk. RSP handles the complexity of permits, grid connections, engineering and construction of the technical installation, 24/7 operations, and thereby fully supports terminals’ obligation to offer shore power. On the other hand, RSP provides shore power connection services directly to liners, supporting them in meeting compliance requirements while at berth.

Liners calling at the Port of Rotterdam request a shore power connection, after which RSP coordinates the connection and disconnection of the vessel. Payment is based on the vessels’ actual electricity consumption.

2.5 MWh

The power demands involved are striking. A single large container ship requires approximately 2.5 megawatts per hour at berth. “That is comparable to four full Feyenoord Stadiums on a matchday,” says Arkesteijn. “For reefer-heavy vessels loaded with refrigerated fruit from South America, demand climbs even higher. Delivering that reliably across 8 kilometres of quay, at 35 connection points, for up to 6,000 vessel calls per year, is an operational undertaking of real complexity.”

The world's largest project, and ahead of schedule

The Maasvlakte II project of Europe’s largest port (and the world’s most efficient one, judging from the year-on-year awards it has received for that) covers four deep-sea container terminals: ECT Delta, ECT Euromax, APMT Maasvlakte II, and ECT DDN.

Rotterdam Shore Power selected ABB in January 2026 to engineer, build and maintain the installations, with construction starting in the second half of 2026. At over 100 MVA combined capacity, it will be the largest shore power system in the world. Commercial operations begin mid-2028, two years ahead of the EU's mandatory deadline.

That deadline is approaching fast. From 1 January 2030, EU legislation under AFIR and FuelEU Maritime requires all container ships - and passenger and cruise vessels - above 5,000 gross tonnage, with at least 2 hours at berth to use shore power (or equivalent zero-emission technology) at EU TEN-T ports. In practice this means that terminals must connect ships 90% of their vessel visits within one hour, with fines falling on the ship if it fails to comply. RSP is building Rotterdam's answer to that obligation, and even beyond.

The market is waking up

Major global carriers are already contacting RSP, wanting to know whether installations will meet the international standard for high voltage (IEC 80005-1) and when they will be ready. "Nobody wants to be scrambling on 31 December 2029," says Van Heijningen.

Operational examples can be found in Hamburg and Barcelona, where shore power for container vessels has been live for two years. These projects have demonstrated that the technology works. Rotterdam is now taking the next step, building a system on a dramatically larger scale to serve all container vessels calling at the APM, ECT Delta, and Euromax terminals. RSP focuses on container terminals and other AFIRobliged segments, while also actively exploring opportunities in other segments, such as liquid bulk.

The commercial logic is sharpening too. As noted, connecting to shore power strengthened Heerema’s competitive position by reducing its supply chains’ carbon footprint. Shore power is increasingly becoming part of the value proposition that shipowners offer to their clients - an argument that will only gain weight as sustainable fuels continue to come at a premium.

Port, business, and government

It’s not only commercial and research partners working together. Regional, national and international government bodies are part of the process too. The Dutch government supports the ECT and APMT projects with subsidies through the Temporary Subsidy Scheme for Shore Power for Seagoing Vessels Climate of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The European Commission also supports them as part of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) within the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme, and via the European Investment Bank.

The Rotterdam region as reference point, the port as springboard

RSP's ambitions extend well beyond Rotterdam. The company is exploring projects in other ports and countries. Even in locations where RSP does not invest or operate, they share knowledge freely. The message to European terminals is unambiguous: Start preparing – it will soon be 2030.

"Shore power is not new," acknowledges Arkesteijn, "but the scale we are working at is genuinely innovative. This is a large, integrated region where a great deal of development takes place. We support that development – and drive the green part of it. Also, the greater Rotterdam region has a great combination of maritime infrastructure and expertise, electrotechnical knowledge through Eneco, shipowners’ input, manufacturing partners, and research institutions. It all comes together; this is where innovation happens."

As Van Heijningen puts it: "We are adding a piece to an already very complex puzzle. But we are making sure that piece fits perfectly - and that it delivers cheaper energy than any sustainable fuel alternative."

For the crane operators on the quayside, the change will be felt long before any legislative deadline. The generators will go quiet. The mist will clear. And Europe's largest port will take another decisive step toward becoming its cleanest.

For more information, visit rotterdamshorepower.com or contact Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe.