• The initiative has a budget of nearly 2 million euros, co-financed by the Interreg Europe programme
• Fundación Valenciaport will collaborate with the Port Authority of Valencia to draw up a guide to promote the implementation of the OPS in Spanish ports

Valencia, 15 May 2025.- The kick-off meeting of the European energy efficiency project Breeze, ‘Berth Electricity for Zero Emission in Ports’, was held yesterday and today in Hamburg, Germany.

The main objective of Breeze is to contribute to the development of a favourable environment that promotes both the installation and use of OPS systems before their mandatory implementation at European level in 2030. Systems that will significantly reduce carbon emissions and other air pollutants by allowing ships to connect to the grid during their stay in port.

The initiative, led by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and in which the Fundación Valenciaport participates, has a budget of nearly 2 million euros, co-financed by the Interreg Europe programme.

The project is part of the European Commission’s ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package, which aims to achieve at least a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

In this context, initiatives such as FuelEU Maritime and the AFIR Directive set the regulatory basis for the deployment of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) in European ports.

Despite its importance, as a still emerging and costly technology, the implementation of OPS poses both technical and operational challenges for ports, especially in terms of its feasibility and sustained operation.

In order to address these challenges, the project activities include the exchange of experiences and best practices between the participating regions, such as round tables, workshops and technical visits, as well as specific studies on the implementation and operation of OPS.

The cooperation between its nine partners, from eight European countries, will generate synergies and valuable results that will boost the development of the OPS, facilitating its availability and use before the entry into force of this obligation in 2030.

Fundación Valenciaport, in collaboration with the Port Authority of Valencia, will contribute to the project by developing practical solutions to promote the implementation of OPS in Spanish ports. Specifically, it will develop an implementation guide that will include good practices and recommendations to overcome current barriers, as well as a study of energy demand at national level that will support the implementation of the necessary infrastructures to facilitate compliance with European regulations.

Breeze Consortium

The Breeze project consortium is composed of 9 European entities: the Fundación Valenciaport; Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Ministry of Economy and Innovation; City of Rotterdam; Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works (MOW); Luka Koper, port and logistic system, public limited company; Port of Hamburg Marketing; Major river-sea Port of the Seine Axis – Haropa Port; Ports of Azores and Port Governance Agency.