HAROPA PORT secures €6 million to expand shoreside power

HAROPA PORT has secured €6 million ($6.9 million) in AFIF funding, making it the only organisation chosen in the second call to electrify both maritime and inland port infrastructure.

The support will accelerate the port’s green corridor strategy and its broader decarbonisation efforts.

The funded HAROPA PORT OPS project will provide shoreside power connections for container vessels, and inland freight, enabling them to plug into the local grid while berthed.

By shutting down engines during port calls, vessels will significantly cut CO2 and fine particulate emissions, reduce noise, and improve air quality around the quays — strengthening the integration of port activities within surrounding urban areas.

The project is expected to reduce GHG emissions by at least 7,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.

The initiative spans the full Seine axis and reflects HAROPA PORT’s ambition to establish one of Europe’s most advanced low-carbon transport corridors.

Its scope is notable, covering: shoreside power for maritime containerships in Le Havre (Phase 1 of Port 2000 electrification), 12 wintering connection points for inland cruise vessels in Rouen, five points for inland freight ships in Rouen, and 17 connections for passenger boats in Paris.

CEO Benoît Rochet noted that this investment strengthens HAROPA PORT’s commitment to meeting its 2030 energy transition objectives by offering shoreside power to all freight and passenger vessels along the Seine corridor.

This new programme also complements the rollout of the Borne&Eau electrification network across inland quays from Le Havre to Paris.

Building on an initial phase of 13 installations, the Seine axis will host 110 connection points by 2026, supported by a €9.24-million ($10 million) investment.

Recently, at the 2025 North Bund Forum, stakeholders highlighted the launch of a joint green shipping corridor linking Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in China and HAROPA Port in France under the International Green Shipping Corridor Cooperation Initiative.