The Port of Rotterdam will host the Shore Power Summit 2026 on 18–19 November, and the event is shaping up to be a key meeting point for the shore-power industry. More than 250 attendees from across Europe and beyond are expected in Rotterdam.
Organised by WorldCargo News and hosted by the Port of Rotterdam, the summit comes as the 2030 deadline under the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) and FuelEU Maritime approaches. Ports and shipping lines must move from regulatory commitments to implementation, overcoming constraints ranging from grid capacity and terminal integration to project financing and commercial viability.
The first day will begin with an optional morning boat tour of Maasvlakte II, led by Ferry Boerefijn, project director at Rotterdam Shore Power, giving delegates a first-hand look at shore-power projects under construction. The day will also include a networking dinner, providing an opportunity to continue discussions with fellow industry professionals. The second day will be packed with sessions examining the regulatory, technical and commercial challenges of shore-power deployment, from installing connections at operational terminals to securing grid capacity and making projects financially viable.
Confirmed participants include the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), as well as representatives from the ports of Amsterdam, Aarhus, Gothenburg, Barcelona, Bilbao, Oslo and Marport.
The two-day summit will bring together ports, shipping lines, terminal operators, grid operators and technology providers to address key challenges in OPS deployment.
Regulatory developments will be a key focus. Roland Teixeira, president and founder of the European Onshore Power Supply Association (EOPSA), and Tim Verhoeven, senior policy adviser for sustainable development at the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), will discuss the ongoing review of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), potential changes to its scope and the challenges of meeting the 2030 requirements.
The programme will examine the practical challenges of installing shore-power infrastructure at operational terminals while maintaining vessel calls and terminal productivity. The discussion will feature Anne Zachariassen, COO of the Port of Aarhus; Esteban Dominguez, lead tender engineer at ABB; and Tim Miltenburg, head of decarbonisation centre of excellence at APM Terminals. The programme will include a panel session with Henrik Gram Rasmussen of Maersk and Kristin Margenberg of Hapag-Lloyd, bringing the shipping lines’ perspective to the shore-power debate. The programme will also look beyond container shipping to shore-power opportunities for tanker fleets, alongside the engineering challenges of grid congestion and alternative solutions for securing the electricity needed for shore-side electrification.
“The question is no longer whether to build shore power, but how to size it correctly, secure grid capacity, and make it financially sustainable,” says Jasmina Ovcina Mandra, Editor, WorldCargo News. “That’s why the people facing these challenges are coming to Rotterdam.”
The full programme is at https://www.shorepowersummit.com/programme/.
Seats are filling up fast. Register here to secure your place.