Onshore power supply (OPS)

Onshore power supply (OPS), also known as cold ironing, lets a berthed vessel shut down its auxiliary engines and draw electrical power from the shore grid instead. It removes the emissions and noise of onboard generation at the berth for the length of the call.

These systems are governed by the IEC/IEEE 80005 series, Utility connections in port. Part 1 (IEC/IEEE 80005-1) covers high voltage shore connection (HVSC) systems: the design, installation and testing of the high-voltage shore distribution, the shore-to-ship connection and interface equipment, transformers and frequency converters, and the control, monitoring, interlocking and power management systems. Part 3 (IEC/IEEE 80005-3) covers low voltage shore connection (LVSC) systems, for vessels requiring up to 1 MVA at berth, with three-phase systems rated 250 A or above and a nominal voltage of 400 to 1,000 V AC; connector dimensions are set by IEC 60309-5.

At Insteimed we design, manufacture and install OPS systems across both voltage ranges, sizing the transformer or frequency converter, the cable management system and the safety interlocking around the actual demand of the terminal or the vessel. We coordinate commissioning with the supply company and handle the system’s legalisation and associated permits, so it is left operational and compliant.