DP World Limassol working with stakeholders on energy solutions in Cyprus

DP World Limassol is working with the Cypriot government and local stakeholders to cut carbon emissions and provide an onshore power supply to vessels docking at the port, in line with European Union targets to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

The deployment of onshore power supply in Limassol was the main theme of the conference “Connecting to the Port of Limassol”, organised on Monday, 18 September by the Municipality of Limassol’s Blue Innovation Centre. It was attended by high-level stakeholders including the Minister of Energy, George Papanastasiou, the Mayor of Limassol, Nicos Nicolaides, representatives of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority, as well as shipping industry officials and academics.

The event focused on issues surrounding the development of onshore power facilities in Cyprus, in line with the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which is part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” package and is set to enter into force on 1 January 2030.

The regulation establishes a framework for the deployment of onshore power supply (OPS), stating that container ships and passenger ships staying for more than two hours in major EU ports will have to connect to onshore power supply, unless they use another zero-emission technology.

DP World Limassol’s services include RoRo operations, warehousing, container yards, naval services and multipurpose vessel operations. The company is also focused on supporting energy companies operating in the Eastern Mediterranean by offering them new products and services to meet customer demand.

DP World Limassol CEO, Simon Pitout addressed the conference, saying: “As a global organisation with experience in operating onshore power solutions, we are equipped to offer our expertise as well as invest in shore-side power infrastructure at Limassol Port to meet the demands of visiting vessels. This will involve multiple stakeholders and we welcome a more collaborative approach with government in our efforts to meet EU regulations and consumer needs.”

“At DP World we are committed to decarbonisation and have adopted a clear roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 across our entire operation” he added.

The end-to-end trade company is taking concrete steps to reduce emissions by installing solar panels with an eventual capacity of 2.5MW within the terminal. The company is also in the process of installing a shore-side power system for marine service vessels operating in the port of Limassol.