New Analysis Benchmarks Progress on Shore Power Implementation at Canadian Ports
September 15, 2025
OTTAWA—A new research brief released today highlights the growing gap between international and Canadian ports when it comes to implementing shore power—and the opportunity Canada has today to modernize port infrastructure, support trade, and reduce emissions.
“Canada’s list of nation-building projects shows that we are rightly looking to our ports as key economic drivers.
Let’s avoid investing in yesterday’s technology and focus on how to make Canadian ports as competitive as possible over the next 50 years, starting with shore power.”
– Amy Nugent, Associate Director of Marine Climate Action, Oceans North
Shore power reduces emissions from vessels at berth, such as cruise ships docking or bulk carriers loading and unloading, by allowing them to plug into electrical power and stop running their diesel engines. This not only reduces harmful noise and air pollution, but also lowers lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when paired with lower-carbon electricity. Additionally, infrastructure upgrades for shore power create critical capacity and control systems that can be leveraged to electrify other port operations and nearby industrial sites.
These benefits—along with mandates and incentives—are prompting more and more ports around the world to implement shore power, attracting the ships of the future as a result.
Where do Canadian ports stand in the global race? Today’s new analysis, prepared for Oceans North by Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, compares Canada’s five busiest ports (Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Montreal, Halifax, and St. John) with international leaders in shore power.
Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Montreal, and Halifax all have some installed shore power, but these systems cover only a small fraction of cruise and container berths, and ports currently lack detailed plans to deploy shore power at scale. In contrast, the large and growing ports of Long Beach, Hamburg, and Shanghai have near-universal coverage for shore power at cruise and container terminals, with sufficient connection points to support nearly all vessels berthing at these ports annually.
The key difference: unlike the US, China, or Europe, Canada has no regulatory mandate to support shore power adoption and infrastructure, no stable financing for ports to install shore power, and no long-term incentives for vessels to shut off diesel engines and plug into shore power.
Dunsky Managing Consultant Brendan McEwen says, “Our conversations in the sector indicate that global shipping and cruise operators are routing their shore-power capable vessels to those ports where regulations compel the use of shore power.”
“By advancing shore power adoption, Canadian communities can benefit from better air quality and greenhouse gas reductions seen elsewhere in the world.”
– Brendan McEwen, Managing Consultant, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors
Oceans North and Dunsky Energy + Climate Associates will release a full report later this year profiling the same five Canadian ports. The report will include policy recommendations for achieving full implementation and uptake by 2035 informed by case studies of shore power implementation, including an energy-demand analysis.
“Ports are asked to be a lot of things right now,” says Nugent of Oceans North. “But while shore power might be seen as only a nice-to-have, in fact it can be a cornerstone for electrification and energy planning as Canada builds an East-West grid and develops new trade corridors.”
“Shore power is a central component of broader port electrification and modernization initiatives,” says McEwen. “World leaders are investing in shore power deployment and regulating its use. Canada can do the same.”
For more information, please contact:
Alex Tesar
Communications Director
Oceans North
[email protected]