When big ships park at a port, they keep their diesel engines running just to power the lights, fridges, and air conditioning onboard — like leaving your car idling in a parking lot all day. That burns expensive fuel and pumps out pollution right next to the city. PowerCon figured out how to plug ships into the local electricity grid using technology they already perfected for wind turbines, making the whole setup up to 50% cheaper than what's currently available. They built and tested a working system at a real port in Norway to prove it works.
Ships docked at port keep their diesel engines running to generate onboard electricity, creating air pollution, noise, and vibrations in port cities. Existing onshore power supply systems that could replace this are too expensive — both in capital costs (due to few suppliers and low competition) and in operational costs (historically, shore electricity was taxed higher than ship fuel). This cost barrier has blocked widespread adoption of a cleaner, quieter solution.
PowerCon built a low-cost onshore power supply system based on their proven wind turbine frequency converter technology. The system was assembled at their facility and installed for real-world testing at the Port of Kristiansand in Norway, with 4 deliverables completed including assembly and end-user site installation.
If you are a port authority dealing with rising pressure to cut emissions from berthed vessels — this project developed a low-cost onshore power supply system that was demonstrated at the Port of Kristiansand. Based on wind turbine frequency converter technology, it aims to be up to 50% cheaper than competing solutions, making shore power finally economically viable for your port.
If you are a shipping company facing tightening emissions regulations in European ports — this project built an affordable shore-side power connection that lets your vessels switch off engines at quayside. The system eliminates acoustic noise and vibrations from running engines, improving crew conditions and helping you comply with port emission rules without massive capital investment.
If you are an energy company looking to supply shore-side electricity to ports — this project created a frequency converter system proven in the wind power sector for 7 years and adapted for maritime use. The technology was assembled and installed at an end-user test site, offering you a ready platform to expand into the growing shore power market.
According to the project objective, PowerCon's frequency converter for wind turbines is up to 50% cheaper than competing solutions. They aimed to bring these same cost savings to the maritime onshore power supply market. Exact pricing for the OPS unit is not disclosed in the available data.
Yes. The project demonstrated the system in an operational environment at the Port of Kristiansand in Norway. Deliverables confirm the system was assembled at the PowerCon facility and then installed at an end-user test site. This is a real-port demonstration, not a lab test.
PowerCon is a Danish SME that developed and owns the underlying frequency converter technology, commercially proven in the wind power sector. Based on available project data, the IP sits with PowerCon AS. Licensing or purchase terms would need to be discussed directly with the company.
The European Commission in 2007 opened up exemptions from energy taxes for onshore power. Countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Germany can now provide shore-side electricity at reduced tax rates, removing a major cost barrier that previously made ship fuel cheaper than grid electricity.
PowerCon has been active in the wind power industry for 7 years, developing and commercializing competitive frequency converters. The LoCOPS project adapted this mature wind technology for the maritime sector, meaning the core electronics are field-proven, not experimental.
The system connects vessels to the local electricity grid at quayside, replacing onboard diesel generation. Based on available project data, it uses a frequency converter to match ship electrical requirements. Specific integration details for different port configurations would need to be discussed with PowerCon.
This is a single-company project: PowerCon AS, a Danish SME and the sole partner. With 100% industry composition and no university or research institute involvement, this signals a commercially driven effort rather than an academic exercise. PowerCon is both the technology developer and the coordinator, meaning all IP and decision-making are concentrated in one entity. For a potential buyer or partner, this simplifies negotiations — there is one company to talk to, with direct control over the product roadmap.
PowerCon AS is a Danish SME based in Denmark. Contact can be found via the company website or LinkedIn.
Want an introduction to the PowerCon team to discuss shore power deployment at your port? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting.
