The European Union supports Port of Tallinn in establishing onshore power supply for cruise ships

The European Union approved funding for Port of Tallinn's project PoTOPS (Port of Tallinn Onshore Power Supply), which aims to create onshore power supply for cruise ships at two quays in the Tallinn Old City Harbour by 2030.

The project, which will last more than three years, will include the construction of a power grid connection to the Elering ( Estonian electricity and power grid operator) main grid, a 110/10kV substation and onshore power supply infrastructure with connection equipment for cruise ships. The capacity of the substation will cover the need to supply two cruise ships with onshore power at quays no 26 and 27, as well as the needs of future hybrid and fully electric Ro-Pax ships. The estimated total cost of the PoTOPS project is 39.7 million euros and the amount up to 30% will be covered by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Alternative Fuels Infrastructure measure (AFIF). The Council of Port of Tallinn approved the investment, the planning and the works will begin as soon as possible.

Valdo Kalm, the Chairman of the Board of Port of Tallinn, emphasized that the establishment of onshore power supply is crucial for the sustainability of cruise shipping. "Cruise tourism is important for the business of Port of Tallinn, but not only - it also creates jobs and economic value for the entire tourism sector. If we want cruise ships to visit Tallinn in the future, we have to be ready to offer them a modern and environmentally friendly onshore power solution by 2030," said Kalm.

The overall objective of Port of Tallinn's PoTOPS project contributes to the achievement of the European Green Deal goals and climate neutrality by 2050, based on the guidelines in Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure and in TEN-T Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 on more sustainable port activities.