Zuiderdam to ‘Plug In’ at Vancouver in 2009

Zuiderdam will become the fifth HAL ship to use shore power, also called cold ironing, when it homeports in Vancouver, B.C., for the 2009 Alaska cruise season. Purchasing shore power — or local electricity — reduces fuel consumption and emissions, and Zuiderdam will join Oosterdam, Westerdam, Noordam and Amsterdam, which have employed shore power in Seattle for Alaska cruises since 2006.

Zuiderdam will use shore power when in Vancouver during seven-day Alaska cruises from May 9 to Sept. 26, 2009. Like Port of Seattle, Port of Vancouver will provide “plug-in” capability for Zuiderdam, which then will use electricity from the local grid while docked.

The total cost to retrofit a Holland America ship with a cold ironing connection system is nearly $1.4 million. In addition, local ports must establish hook-ups and install a transformer dockside.

Westerdam and Oosterdam were the first to be retrofitted to use shore power at Port of Seattle in 2006. In 2007 Noordam was retrofitted and joined Oosterdam. In 2008 Oosterdam, Westerdam and Amsterdam all used shore power in Seattle. In 2009 Westerdam and Amsterdam will use Seattle shore power while Zuiderdam “plugs in” at Vancouver.

The announcement was made at a press conference in Vancouver, and was attended by local government and cruise industry officials.

Left (left to right): Andrew Saxton, MP North Vancouver; Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours; Hon. James Moore, minister of Canadian heritage and official languages; Captain Gordon Houston, president and CEO, Port Metro Vancouver; Bill Sharp, vice president of port operations and fleet security for Holland America; Hon. Kevin Falcon, B.C. minister for transportation and infrastructure. Right: Charlie Ball, Captain Gordon Houston and Bill Sharp engaged in discussion on the advantages of shore power.