Significant delays in EU ports electrification (T&E / DNV study)

A mere 20% of the EU’s required electric shore power infrastructure has been installed or commissioned in major ports, meaning most container ships, cruise ships and ferries continue to run on fossil fuels while docked. This is the main finding of a study conducted by certification society DNV on behalf of T&E (Transport & Environment), published on 15/07/2025.

Over 6% of the EU maritime CO2 emissions ( which represent 3 to 4% of the EU's total CO2 emissions in 2021) come from ships running on fossil fuels at ports. Alongside CO2, ships also emit high amounts of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), which have significant effects on human health. As part of the EU Green Deal, EU ports are required to provide shore-side electricity to ships by 2030.

The ports of Antwerp, Dublin, Gdansk and Lisbon are among those that are yet to invest in any electric plug-in infrastructure. The ports of Rotterdam, Barcelona, Valencia, Bremerhaven and Le Havre also perform poorly in terms of their efforts to meet the EU mandate. The ports of Algeciras and Hamburg…