Vessel Onshore Power Supply Project

Vessel Onshore Power Supply Project is a transport emissions reduction project located across multiple major Australian ports, specifically in New South Wales (Rozelle), Queensland (Gladstone), South Australia (Port Adelaide), and Victoria (Port Melbourne). Registered in May 2024 by Auscan Holdings Pty Ltd, the project operates under the "Land and Sea Transport" methodology. Auscan Holdings is the parent company of CSL Australia, a major shipping operator specializing in dry bulk cargo like iron ore and cement.

The project involves modifying marine vessels to utilize Onshore Power Supply (OPS), a practice often referred to as "cold ironing." Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Land and Sea Transport) Methodology Determination 2015, this activity reduces emissions by allowing ships to shut down their auxiliary diesel engines while docked and connect to the local electricity grid instead. This switch from burning marine fuel to utilizing grid electricity, which is often cleaner, significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution in port areas.

Given the project's nature, it does not occupy a single terrestrial land mass with agricultural soil. Instead, it operates within high-traffic industrial coastal zones. The environmental conditions vary by port: Gladstone experiences a subtropical climate with high summer rainfall, while Port Melbourne and Port Adelaide have temperate climates with cooler winters. The "land use" for these areas is exclusively heavy industrial and maritime infrastructure.

An interesting aspect of this project is its alignment with CSL Australia’s broader sustainability goals. CSL operates a fleet of self-unloading vessels that frequently visit these specific ports. By retrofitting these vessels to accept shore power, the project demonstrates a significant commitment to decarbonizing Australia's coastal shipping network, a sector traditionally difficult to abate.