Port of San Diego and tenant Flagship Cruises & Events have announced that construction begins this month on a $2.5 million shoreside power at a new facility to be built between Broadway and Navy piers.
The project, which is expected to be complete by mid-2012, would allow Flagship vessels to plug into on-shore electricity while docked instead of running their diesel engines.
Flagship is a luxury public and private dining tour company that has an 11-vessel fleet, including a 158-foot boat that can accommodate about 600 people. It held a private groundbreaking ceremony for the project in December.
The shore power system is expected to reduce diesel air emissions by 50 percent. When the fleet is docked, onboard diesel power supply would switch to shore-based electrical power in order to reduce air emissions from the ships’ diesel engines.
The project also consists of dock reconfiguration and construction of new boarding ramps and four slips.
“We’re investing money in projects that we believe will benefit the bay that we work on and live around,” Flagship Cruises CEO Art Engel said.
A similar shoreside power system was completed in San Diego in late 2010 and at the time was just the fifth such system to be installed globally, according to the port.
Friday, January 6, 2012
