The following is the text of a news release from Transport Canada:
(HALIFAX, Nova Scotia) (Oct. 26) — The shore power system to allow cruise vessels to plug in when calling the Port of Halifax is now complete and fully operational.
Shore power is a highly effective way to reduce marine diesel air emissions by enabling ships to shut down their auxiliary engines and connect to the electrical grid in order to provide necessary power while docked. This initiative represents the second shore power installation for cruise ships in Canada. The shore power project at the Port of Halifax is part of a $10 million cooperative initiative between the government of Canada, the province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Port Authority. The tariff was developed in partnership with Nova Scotia Power.
Testing of the shore power system at the Port of Halifax has been underway since the end of September. The system is now fully operational and is ready to be used by shore power-equipped cruise vessels calling on Halifax. The Port of Halifax anticipates over 25 shore power connections during the 2015 cruise season.
Halifax is one of the largest natural ice-free harbors in the world and has the deepest berths on the Eastern Seaboard of North America. The Port of Halifax generates approximately $1.5 billion in annual economic impact and over 11,000 port-related jobs. Annual cruise activity accounts for about 8 percent of all tourism traffic in Nova Scotia.
