Set to supply power to the docks of Genoa port, Nidec ASI is undertaking a major project worth 8 million euros, whose technical innovations will benefit the community by reducing both emissions and noise pollution.
The multinational company will work with the Port System Authority of the Western Ligurian Sea to design and construct a “shore-to-ship” project for the port of Genoa. This is an advanced electrical supply system that will enable docked vessels to plug in to the national grid from the dock, thereby accessing all the energy they need to be fully operative without having to switch on their on-board engines.
A HISTORY OF INNOVATION
Nidec ASI, whose technical and financial bids scored the highest in the tender, was one of the first players to promote shore-side electricity, a decisive solution for reducing the environmental impact of port activities and for saving energy. The project responds to the need to comply with the directives of the European Union which, since 2003, has been urging ports to adopt shore-to-ship systems in order to reduce the polluting emissions of vessels in port. By 2025, this recommendation will become binding for all European ports.
Thanks to the system devised by Nidec ASI, emissions of SOx, NOx, CO2, and PM, which are a significant source of pollution for densely populated areas, are considerably reduced, to the benefit of public health. Moreover, by plugging ships into the national grid, and thereby avoiding the use of on-board diesel generators, the noise pollution that upsets tourists and inhabitants of the neighbouring areas is also greatly reduced.
A MAJOR MILESTONE
This project is a major milestone in the reduction of the environmental impact of port activities, a central theme for promoting a sustainable development model in a country like Italy, which has over 4,600 miles of coastland and forty-two large ports. The transformation of these ports with a view to achieving greater safety and savings on energy may also contribute to attracting more cruise vessels, and this would have a positive impact on trade and tourism
The partnership with the Port of Genoa will bring state-of-the art technology together with Nidec’s capacity to satisfy specific requirements through customised solutions and proven experience, developed thanks to the various other applications we have already installed in the Port of Livorno, in the Muggiano / La Spezia shipyards, in the Naval Bases of Taranto and in Toulon (France).
The PCS (Power Conversion System) consist of converters, control system, transformer and switch gear (where needed). Thanks to its modular design we can quickly configure Power Conversion Systems for both large commercial and industrial plants as well as utility scale units with one of the highest power densities available on the market.
The company has, in fact, already completed an excellent project for Livorno, one of the few ports in the world already in the vanguard along with those of Los Angeles and San Francisco (California), Juneau (Alaska), Gothenburg (Sweden), and Lübeck (Germany). In order to supply shore-to-ship power to the docks of the Port of Livorno, in 2013 Nidec ASI supplied a variable frequency drive unit for the creation of a system that reduces ship emissions and pollution, while supplying electrical energy from the shore to cruise vessels docked in the port.
PREPARING FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS
For the Port of Genoa—which won the “Top 100 Worldwide Container Ports” prize in 2016—Nidec ASI will supply two 6 MVA static frequency converters which, with the overloads required, can reach up to 12 MVA, as well as switchboards and LV/MV transformers, connecting cables for the various devices and any accessory components.
The special feature of Nidec ASI systems is, in fact, that of being able to adapt the voltage and frequency of the national grid to the requirements of the individual ships. In the long term, Nidec will also supervise the civil engineering works, assembling, commissioning and any technical support required for the project, for the next ten years.
Kaila Haines is marketing and PR director of Nidec ASI. Nidec ASI offers customised solutions throughout the world for a wide range of industrial applications. Its reference markets are the petrochemical, traditional and renewable energy, steel, naval and industrial automation markets. The multinational is specialized in heavy duty applications in which high power and high performance are key: electric motors and generators up to 65 MW of power (87,000 horsepower); power electronics inverters and converters; automation and software for industrial processes; retrofitting of power plants and hydroelectric generators; integrated systems for the production of electrical energy from renewable sources and their stabilization in connecting to the national grid. For more information, visit www.nidec-industrial.com.
_______________________________________________________
MODERN PUMPING TODAY, June 2018
Did you enjoy this article?
Subscribe to the FREE Digital Edition of Modern Pumping Today Magazine!
