Maersk Drilling bets on shore-to-ship power for rigs at Esbjerg

Danish drilling-rig operator Maersk Drilling A/S (CPH:DRLCO) yesterday announced that it is using shore-to-ship power at the port of Esbjerg, cutting fossil fuel use and emissions.

A shore-to-ship power plant with a capacity of 1,300 Amp/1.5 MW at the port can supply green electricity to three drilling rigs. Maersk Drilling said the plant, the first of its kind in Denmark, is a joint investment with the port.

“More and more customers ask for shore-to-ship power, so for us, it’s not just a matter of participating actively in the green transition, on which we’re already heavily focused. It’s also a commercial necessity, which is why we’re in the process of installing more shore-to-ship power plants at the port, so even more of our customers have the opportunity to use green power,” said Dennis Jul Pedersen, chief executive of Port Esbjerg.

Using shore-to-ship power instead of diesel generators when rigs are docked can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 500 tonnes per month per rig. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx) pollution is also avoided.

Maersk Drilling aims to halve its carbon emissions intensity by 2030. Shore-to-ship power will help.

The Port of Esbjerg has been offering shore-to-ship power for a while for different vessels, including turbine installation vessels and ferries. The electricity comes from offshore wind farms.

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