More Cruise Ships “plug-in” at Seattle

The Port of Seattle has for nearly 20 years been an innovator in shore power infrastructure. Today, at two berths at the Smith Cove Cruse Terminal at Pier 91, cruise ships can turn off their engines and plug-in, via giant electric plugs, to green energy when docked.

The latest advancement, the Pier 66 Shore Power Project, makes Seattle among the first ports in the world with three shore power systems for cruise ships. The complex project involves installing a cable – essentially a big underwater extension cord – on the floor of Elliott Bay and is expected to be fully operational by 2024. Each ship that plugs in to a shore power connection can reduce diesel emissions by 80% and CO2 emissions by 66% on average.

As the cruise industry pursues net-zero carbon cruising by 2050, they are building new ships with shore power hook-ups, while many ships are being retrofitted with the capability. The Port of Seattle has also set a goal to have 100% of home port cruise ships in Seattle equipped with shore power capacity and to connect on every call by 2030 or sooner.