• 4 min de lectura
• 4 min de lectura
The Port de Barcelona and Red Eléctrica are working together on the deployment of projects included in the port authority's Energy Transition Plan, aimed at decarbonizing the activity carried out at the quays and transforming its energy model. The Port de Barcelona has set itself the goal of becoming a hub for the production and distribution of sustainable energy and promoting the energy transition beyond the port territory.
Access to the energy needed for this transformation was the central topic of the meeting held this morning by representatives of the Port de Barcelona and Redeia, led by their respective presidents, José Alberto Carbonell and Beatriz Corredor.
The meeting will boost the close collaboration already maintained by Port de Barcelona and Redeia, with projects such as the high-voltage connection between Red Eléctrica's Cerdà substation and the Port substation, which will initially allow for the expansion of the Nexigen Plan to electrify the main quays of the Port de Barcelona, installing new Onshore Power Supply (OPS) systems that allow ships to turn off their engines while docked.
The connection between the Cerdà and Port substations is a strategic milestone. Thanks to this action, the Port has an assigned position of 80 MW in the transmission network, an essential electrical capacity to electrify the quays and advance in the decarbonization of port activity. This project has involved significant joint planning and technical coordination between both entities, generating a base of shared knowledge and experience that will serve to drive future phases of energy development and new infrastructures linked to the energy transition of the Port de Barcelona.
Red Eléctrica completed the expansion works of the Cerdà 220 kV substation this summer, an action aimed at promoting the energy transition, boosting the economy, and electrifying industry in the region.
With an investment of 37 million euros, the construction and current expansion of the Cerdà substation also involved the construction of three new lines: Cerdà-Hospitalet, Cerdà-Aeropuerto, and Cerdà-Zona Franca, all of which are currently in service.
The Port substation, for its part, will be operational in early 2027 and will allow the first OPS to come into operation at a cruise terminal. However, this is just one example of the projects that in the coming years will transform the Port de Barcelona to make it more sustainable, but which at the same time will increase its electricity supply needs.
Increasing and guaranteeing the electrical supply capacity of the Port de Barcelona is decisive for its development and for the competitiveness of the territory it serves, as it will allow the deployment of projects contemplated in its Energy Transition Plan. The new green methanol plant that will generate clean fuel to decarbonize maritime transport is an example, as will be the necessary infrastructures for the development of the hydrogen economy and the electrification of existing and future planned activities.
Beatriz Corredor pointed out after the meeting that "in a context in which ports are called to be key strategic infrastructures for the energy transformation of maritime transport, the collaboration and joint work between Red Eléctrica and the Port de Barcelona will allow laying the foundations for a much more sustainable, competitive and decarbonized port model. In this process, the connection between the Cerdà substation and the Port substation constitutes a key action to provide the port with the necessary electrical capacity to advance in such relevant projects as the electrification of the quays and the deployment of new energy solutions for maritime transport."
José Alberto Carbonell explained that "decarbonizing port activity to make it more sustainable implies electrifying all possible processes. With the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the ZAL warehouses and in other areas of the port area, we will sustainably generate part of this energy, but it will be essential to have greater electrical capacity, which is why Red Eléctrica is the key partner to make this transformation a reality."
