NWSA inaugurates shore power facility at Terminal 5

The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) inaugurated its new shore-power facility at Terminal 5 with the MSC Brunella’s port call. The nearly 9,000 TEU ship was the first to successfully use the new plug-in infrastructure, which is powered by Seattle’s clean energy hydroelectrical grid.

“Terminal 5 is an important asset to our region’s economy, adding critical capacity to the West Coast that increases cargo movement through our gateway, and now reduces the environmental impact of port operations on our workers and surrounding near-port neighborhoods,” Deanna Keller, NWSA’s co-chair, says.

The project was made possible with the Washington State Legislature’s $4.4 million investment, as well as the collaboration of several NWSA’s partners: SSA Terminals, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Pacific Crane Maintenance Company (PCMC), the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) Local 19, and Seattle City Light.

As part of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, the new installation positions Terminal 5 as the first international container terminal in the NWSA gateway with shore-power capability. This inaugural plug-in is a significant environmental milestone in the Pacific Northwest and brings the NWSA closer to its targets of having shore-power infrastructure in place for all visiting international container terminals by 2030.