Port of Quebec to Add Shore Power at Berth 30 by 2028

The Port of Quebec is developing a 16-megawatt shore-power system at Berth 30 that will allow compatible cruise ships to plug into Quebec’s hydroelectric grid while alongside beginning in 2028. The port estimates the project can lower at-berth greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90 percent, equal to about 70,000 tons of avoided emissions over time.

The installation is part of nearly $70 million in spending on Berth 30 and related cruise infrastructure. It will bring shore power to a seasonally active Saint Lawrence cruise port where Terminal 30 serves larger ships that cannot use the city-center Wharf 21/22 facility near Old Québec.

Marie-Andrée Blanchet, director cruise and international development for the Port of Quebec, said cruise partners have asked ports for “reliable infrastructure” and practical emissions-reduction options. “Shore power at Berth 30 is a direct response to those needs,” Blanchet said.

Hydroelectric supply shapes the emissions case

Shore-power performance varies with the local grid and the onboard loads transferred from the ship. Cruise shore-power connections generally reduce diesel particulate emissions by up to 80 percent and CO2 by 66 percent compared with running engines at berth. Higher total reductions are possible where low-carbon electricity supplies the pier.

The technology does not eliminate every source of at-berth emissions in all operating conditions. Boiler emissions for steam and heating can remain outside a standard shore-power connection, and ships continue to emit during connection and disconnection.

Quebec’s cruise traffic since 2019

Quebec handled 236,715 passengers and crew on 148 cruise calls in 2019, including 22 turnaround operations. Its post-pandemic recovery included about 133,000 tourists on 96 calls in 2022, followed by 131 booked berthings for 41 ships in 2023, including 11 maiden calls.

Shore power expands along the Saint Lawrence corridor

Bud Darr, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association, said shoreside investments are “essential to the cruise industry’s ability to reduce emissions at berth.” He said Quebec’s hydroelectric-sourced project is important for both the port and the wider Saint Lawrence and Canada & New England cruise region.

Similar shore-power systems are already operating in Montreal and New York. Boston and Charlottetown have shore-power projects planned.

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