The Port of San Diego is moving closer to doubling its shore power capability at its B Street and Broadway Pier cruise ship terminals, according to a press release.
At its meeting on January 11, 2022, the Board of Port Commissioners awarded a $268,000 contract to Baker Electric Inc. The San Diego County-based company will install Port provided electrical equipment, and remove, replace, and terminate medium voltage cables. The work is expected to begin in March 2022 and be ready for commissioning in August 2022.
This project was initially funded in April 2021, when the Board approved $4.6 million for the project as well as various agreements related to equipment purchasing, construction, and installment of additional shore power equipment that will allow two cruise vessels calling on San Diego to connect to shore power outlets at the same time, according to a statement.
Currently, only one ship can plug into shore power at a time.
“The Port of San Diego has shown we take our role as an environmental champion of the bay to heart,” said Chairman Dan Malcolm, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “The cruise industry injects hundreds of millions of dollars into our local economy and provides jobs for San Diegans. We are proud to find a way for cruises to continue in an environmentally conscientious way.”
The Port first installed shore power at the cruise terminals in 2010, making it among the first ports in California to have shore power available for cruise ships and beating a state regulation to reduce diesel particulate emissions from at least 50 percent of cruise calls by nearly four years.
