Ensure a consistent payment system, good safety standards, and increased brand awareness. This and more is included in a plan with recommendations to make the use of shore power in Dutch inland ports easier and to reduce the environmental impact of the shipping sector. On Thursday afternoon, the plan was presented by the Brabant deputy Stijn Smeulders and the Limburg deputy Jasper Kuntzelaers to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
The Netherlands has the largest inland shipping sector in all of Europe. Many important waterways run through Brabant and Limburg. That is why the two provinces took the lead in the project Shore Power in European Shipping, or SPIES. Over the past months, dozens of stakeholders from both domestic and abroad were surveyed about their experiences, wishes, and expectations regarding shore power.
By providing ships moored at the quay with power from the shore (riverbank), instead of from their own engines or generators, CO2 can be reduced. Shore power facilities for coastal and inland shipping thus make a significant contribution to CO2 reduction. The majority of the berths for the ships are managed by Rijkswaterstaat. To make the sector more sustainable, a contribution from the national government is crucial. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has already reserved 16 million euros for shore power at national berths. Some recommendations will even need to be addressed at the European level.
The plan presented to the ministry today outlines 15 recommendations for the rollout of shore power facilities for inland and coastal shipping in the North Sea region. The recommendations, which were also developed through a survey among inland shipping entrepreneurs, waterway managers, box builders, hardware suppliers, and governments from five countries, provide a structured approach to improving shore power infrastructure, adjusting regulations, and promoting sustainability in the shipping sector. For instance, the ministry is asked to adjust regulations for berths, determine safety standards for shore power boxes and connection cables, and invest in shore power installations.
Inland shipping is incredibly important for Brabant, says deputy Stijn Smeulders. Every container shipment that goes by water does not have to go by road and therefore does not contribute to traffic jams. That is why we must do everything we can to make water transport attractive and sustainable. Currently, there is still a lack of clear agreements on shore power, but this plan is a good start to address that. So that in a few years, hopefully, every skipper knows exactly where electricity is available, and together we can reduce CO2 emissions.