All ports in the Trans-European Networks (TEN) must offer ships electrical connection by 2030. In Iceland, this includes not only the old port of the capital, but also ports throughout the country.
Reykjavik’s Old Port has been modernized.
Since this Monday, Cruise ships in Iceland can now connect to electricity while docked in the capital’s portreported ‘RÚV’, Iceland’s national public broadcasting organization.
With this ecological measure you can save up to 8,000 liters of diesel fuel per 12-hour stay. The change also means less air and noise pollution coming from the cruise ships in the city center.
The first ship to take advantage of this new electrical system has been the Norwegian cruise ship Fridtjof Nansen, which docked early Monday morning. It was connected to electricity during an official ceremony. It only took 10 minutes to connect the boat.
However, it is necessary to get used to having the engines off. “For the first time there is silence in the engine room. That is something a little strange for us“said Jan Robin Pettersen, the ship’s chief engineer.
