Siemens to build Germany’s largest shore-to-ship charging station at Port of Kiel

The Port of Kiel has commissioned Siemens to build the largest shore-to-ship power system ever to go into operation in Germany.

With a power of 16 megavolt amperes (MVA), the charging station will be capable of supplying two ships simultaneously with certified eco-power, thereby helping reduce annual CO2 emissions by more than 8,000 tonnes.

The system is expected to go into test operation within the 2020 cruise ship season.

The installation will consist of one substation with four cast resin transformers, four air-insulated medium-voltage switchgears as well as one 16MVA frequency converter. The cast resin transformers with a rated power of six and 16 MVA are especially suited for challenging environmental conditions, such as the salty air present at the port, while the switchgear is robust and has a compact design, making it suitable for this application.

For an uninterrupted and efficient power supply of moored ships, a Siemens converter system is used. It features a frequency converter and a software for central controlling of the two berths.

With the system, two medium-voltage networks with different frequencies can be connected, in this case the local distribution grid with 50 Hz and the ship’s onboard electrical system with 60 Hz. The converter system will synchronise both networks and takes over the power supply automatically within a few minutes.

In addition, the converter system will coordinate the energy supply of the ships’ two networks so that power can be supplied to both simultaneously.