The port of Hamburg is making shore power mandatory for cruise ships visiting its three terminals starting in 2027.

According to local media, all vessels capable of using the technology will be required to do so when calling in Hamburg.

The measure comes three years ahead of similar European Union requirements entering effect, NDR.de reported.

“It’s also important for the acceptance of the cruise business in the city as a whole,” Hamburg’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Melanie Leonhard, told the news outlet.

Cruise lines and ships that fail to meet the requirements will be subjected to sanctions, including so-called “compensation payments,” she continued.

Leonhard said that two-thirds of all ships capable of using shore power are currently using shore power when visiting Hamburg.

NDR.de reported that the use of shore power makes operations in Hamburg significantly more expensive for cruise ships sailing to the port.

Jens Meier, head of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), told the website that the port was a European pioneer in offering shore power for cruise vessels.

Shore power is currently available at two of the port’s terminals, including the Hamburg-Altona Cruise Terminal, which was one of the first in the region to offer the technology back in 2017.

In 2024, the Steinwerder Cruise Terminal became the second in Hamburg to offer connections for vessels.

The technology is now coming to the new HafenCity Cruise Terminal, which is scheduled to be completed later this year.

The two new connections being added to the terminals will undergo trials before being available for ships in 2027.

A major homeport in Germany, Hamburg serves as a starting point for cruises from a wide range of brands, including AIDA, Costa, MSC, TUI, Cunard and Hapag-Lloyd.

The town is also a popular port of call for other brands, such as Royal Caribbean, P&O, Norwegian, Princess, Silversea, Regent and more.