Germany’s Bremerhaven Port has supplied shore power to a car carrier, marking the first time a car carrier has used shore power in a European port.

The Wallenius Wilhelmsen-operated vessel Lake Shirasagi connected to shore power during its layover, BLG Logistics said in a statement on its website on Monday.

The roughly 200 m long pure car and truck carrier loaded and discharged around 2,000 vehicles while undergoing final technical integration tests for the new onshore power supply system at the car terminal.

Testing began on Sunday but was delayed by technical issues onboard, forcing the cancellation of the facility’s planned official opening. After the fault was resolved, the vessel was connected to shore power later during the day.

Shore power, or cold ironing, is being adopted at more ports worldwide, cutting emissions by allowing vessels to switch off their diesel generators while alongside.

But while it helps reduce pollution in port areas, it is not sufficient to tackle global shipping emissions. Substantial investment in low- and zero-carbon marine fuels will still be needed to achieve wider decarbonisation across the sector.

Shore power’s credentials also depend on the availability of renewable electricity in the local grid, limiting its green impact in regions still reliant on fossil-fuel power generation.