Höegh Autoliners completes first European shore power connection at Zeebrugge

LNG-capable car carrier Höegh Starlight switches off engines at berth as EU ports gear up for mandatory onshore power

Zeebrugge, Belgium: Norwegian ro-ro shipping company Höegh Autoliners has connected one of its vessels to shore power at the Port of Zeebrugge, marking what the company described as its first successful shore power connection in Europe.

The LNG-capable Höegh Starlight plugged into the port’s onshore power supply, enabling it to shut down its onboard engines while at berth and cut emissions during its port stay.

The connection comes as European ports prepare for tighter at-berth emissions rules. Under the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), major coastal and inland ports on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) must provide shore power for container and passenger ships by the end of 2029. FuelEU Maritime will further require container and passenger ships above 5,000 GT to use shore power or another zero-emission technology while at berth in covered TEN-T ports from 2030.

With current mandates focused on container and passenger vessels, Höegh Autoliners’ move indicates that car carrier operators are also starting to adopt onshore power ahead of regulation. Zeebrugge, one of Europe’s largest vehicle-handling ports, offers a natural setting for the ro-ro sector to test at-berth electrification.