What Is Shore Power?

From those new to the yacht world, we’re often asked exactly what is shore power. It’s precisely what is sounds like – it’s how you power a ship when it’s at shore. It’s what lets you turn on the lights, maintain a comfortable climate, run your laundry – any of those things you do aboard your vessel.

At sea, ships run on diesel fuel. While the sights and sounds of burning diesel aren’t the most pleasant – think exhaust, the rumbling engines, etc. – that’s not a big deal when you’re surrounded by water.

At shore, ships can also run on diesel – but what if we told you there’s a better way?

Let’s face it – nobody really likes diesel. It’s loud, it contaminates both air and water, and all those hours burning diesel fuel at shore really add up, both in operating costs and engine maintenance. And if that’s not enough, changing tax regulations in recent years are making it even more costly to run a yacht on diesel when docked at shore.

What’s the solution? It’s using electricity for your shore power. When running off electricity, your diesel engines shut down, you cut your pollution output, you cut the excessive noise of idling your engine, and you drastically cut your fuel bill.

Now that you know what shore power is, you’d think using it would be as easy as just plugging in. But as any world-traveling yacht captain knows, you don’t just dock and plug in. Ports around the world operate at different electrical voltages, which usually won’t match the voltage your ship operates on. It’s essential that those voltages match if you want to power your ship with electricity.

The key to using electric shore power on an international-faring yacht is an electrical frequency converter, like those pictured above. These systems, once installed on your craft, help convert the port’s electricity to work with your onboard system’s setup. This gives you reliable electric power for all your ship’s functions throughout your stay.

Atlas Marine knows yachts come in all shapes and sizes, and we provide frequency converters to fit them all. Our converters are based on KVA ratings and range from single power modules of 37.5 kVA to 200KVA, with ability to parallel systems and get all the way up to 1MVA.

With decades of powering the world’s greatest yachts, Atlas Marine Systems has a variety of frequency converters to help you run cleaner, quieter, and more reliably, wherever your travels take you. We also provide electrical design services for those looking to maximize their vessel’s power distribution system. Contact Atlas today to get started in the world of clean, reliable shore power.