On 31 March, Cruise Port Rotterdam was ready to provide cruise ships with shore power Arjan van der Linde is one of the 3 members of the Executive team at Cruise Port Rotterdam. In 2013, he joined CPR as building & facilities logistics manager. Among other things, he was trained to moor ships, learned to operate the gangway, and then became a PFSO (Port Facility Security Officer). He was subsequently promoted to Terminal Manager, and is now Shore Power Manager…

That’s quite a lot!
‘It is!’ laughs Arjan, ‘…but it’s very manageable with our team. I must mention the fantastic support and dedication of my colleagues, including our Cruise Port Captains. These are specially trained, permanent cruise team members from the KRVE (Royal Boatmen’s Association Eendracht), working in a unique partnership with and for Cruise Port Rotterdam. They help guide the cruise ships to the quay, assist with mooring, connect the boarding bridge, coordinate logistics on the quay, ensure safety, and also serve as Port Facility Security Personnel (PFSP). In short, it’s a fantastic and unique collaboration that makes what you call “quite a lot” entirely manageable …’

(tk) ‘Shore power here means connecting to green power’

What exactly are the “logistics” in the terminal and on the quay?
‘It concerns the whole operation of disembarking and boarding passengers, suitcases and supplies. Technology, people, safety… and the latter is obviously one of the most important factors here. Eric Bell and Ricardo Moret also function as my right & left hand in facility logistics. Furthermore, I’m the person in charge of Wal E, the shore power connection. As mentioned, this was officially commissioned on 31 March of this year. After a safety procedure, cruise ships can now connect to shore power and no longer need generators. Note: shore power here at the Rotterdam quay means connecting to green power, i.e. co-wind and solar power.’

Isn’t the shore power “plug” on the quay a pretty big device?
‘It’s not too bad, Wal E is very flexible and actually a giant ‘extension cord’. There’s a mobile socket in the 230-metre-long tray which runs parallel to the quay. It’s therefore easy to move Wal E (Wally&quot) back and forth. It also means that connecting is always possible and goes very smoothly, no matter where the cruise ship connection is located. Our shore power cable tray & trolley solution, called “The Rotterdam Model”, is now being copied by many major ports such as Sidney, Copenhagen and Barcelona!’

(Photos: Arjan and Arjan next to Wal E)