Belgium has launched its first shore power facility for roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels at the Port of Zeebrugge, a step toward reducing emissions from maritime transport. International Car Operators N.V. (ICO), part of the NYK Group, operates the system. It lets docked ships draw electricity from the terminal instead of running onboard generators for their electrical needs at berth. Shore power can reduce emissions and local air pollution while a vessel is alongside, but it does not replace the energy used for propulsion at sea.
The facility became operational in June after a test phase, with a NYK-operated pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) the first to use it. The launch set a national precedent for Belgium and marked NYK’s first shore power operation for a PCTC at berth. The installation can serve one vessel at a time. ICO says expansion is possible as demand grows.
ICO says the electricity supplied to vessels comes from its terminal wind farm, which has 11 turbines. The terminal’s cabling and connection infrastructure can also serve ships not originally designed for shore power, broadening the range of vessels able to use the system. When vessels switch off auxiliary engines while connected, shore power can cut carbon dioxide emissions and reduce local pollution, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. The overall climate benefit depends on the electricity supplied and the vessel’s operating conditions.
The project received backing from the Flemish Agency for innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO), reflecting the role of public-private investment in port decarbonization. ICO has placed the installation within a broader sustainability strategy that includes more than 600 electric-vehicle charging stations and 12,600 square metres of solar panels. The terminal also has an automated parking system for 10,000 cars.
Information from ICO, the facility strengthens Zeebrugge’s role in the energy transition and prepares the port for tighter environmental standards in shipping. The system is an early deployment for the vehicle-carrier segment: the EU’s shore-power use requirements scheduled to apply from 2030 focus on covered passenger and container ships, rather than RoRo vessels generally. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation also sets requirements for shore-side electricity infrastructure at maritime ports on the trans-European transport network.
The wider regulatory shift includes FuelEU Maritime, Regulation (EU) 2023/1805, which applies to ships above 5,000 gross tonnage on covered EU-related voyages and port stays. From 2025, it sets a 2% reduction in the greenhouse-gas intensity of energy used aboard ships compared with the 2020 baseline, rising to 6% by 2030. These intensity targets are distinct from the specific shore-power connection and use requirements. Connecting at berth addresses a vessel’s electrical demand while it is plugged in, not its propulsion emissions.
Building shore-power infrastructure depends on adequate grid capacity, which may require port-side reinforcement. Operators also need metering and workable electricity tariffs; enough compatible vessel calls are impressive to keep equipment in use. The European Economic and Social Committee has called for faster deployment, saying “the development of on-shore power supply should be accelerated through grid connections, port-side reinforcement and extended financial support measures.” These practical considerations shape how ports and terminals can expand installations while supporting cleaner maritime operations.
Across Europe, shore power is gaining importance as ports and shipping lines respond to decarbonization policies and pressure to reduce pollution around busy port areas. Zeebrugge’s facility puts Belgium among the countries investing in cleaner maritime infrastructure and offers a model for extending shore-side electricity to vessel types beyond the passenger and container ships covered by the EU’s initial 2030 requirements.
