Site Specific Challenges for Cold Ironing Upgrades

Many West Coast ports are providing shore-to-ship power (cold ironing) at terminal berths to be better environmental stewards and to comply with California Air Resource Board (CARB) regulations, as awareness of the contribution from port facilities to air quality is becoming more prominent. In response to these issues, shore-to-ship power (cold ironing) facilities are coming "on-line" at West Coast ports. Besides the inherent electrical engineering issues associated with serving these large electrical loads to various vessels, another large challenge is often the physical installation and construction of significant infrastructure within existing marine facilities without disrupting operations. This paper will utilize case studies from separate projects to compare and contrast these site specific challenges, including the following: (1) Upgrade improvements required for the primary electrical service from the utility provider and required infrastructure necessary for power delivery. (2) The process of working with the facility users/stakeholders to select required equipment/substation locations to minimize impacts to operations. (3) Definition of the locations of the wharf-side power outlets based on considerations of the likely vessel mix serving individual berths. (4) Modifications to existing wharf/pier structures to accommodate cold ironing appurtenances within the structure, as opposed to the limitations of locating equipment above deck. (5) The development of detailed construction phasing requirements necessary to allow facility operations to continue during construction.