Shore Power Shifts From Voluntary to Compliance Requirement Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. June 4, 2026 © DNV Shore power is shifting from a local environmental measure to a key operational and regulatory consideration for shipowners, according to DNV’s latest white paper “Shore Power in Shipping: Technology, regulation and implementation.” As regulatory pressure builds in Europe, California and parts of Asia, access to shore power is shaping compliance and operating costs during port stays. Historically a voluntary option for saving energy and reducing emissions in ports, shore power is becoming part of baseline compliance considerations for many shipowners. The technology is mature and can deliver immediate, measurable reductions in noise, fuel use, and emissions during port stays by replacing auxiliary engine operation. However, uneven deployment means shipowners must make route-specific and berth level decisions when planning operations, particularly where penalties apply for not using shore power when it is available. To help shipowners navigate these complexities, DNV's white paper outlines how regulatory exposure, technical suitability, berth-level availability, and operational factors translate into cost and emissions impacts. DNV’s white paper finds that shore power's potential impact on fuel savings is significant. Analysis suggests it could reduce global fleet fuel-oil consumption for ships above 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) by 3.5%, equivalent to approximately 9.24 million tonnes of fuel and around 29 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. However, this reflects auxiliary-engine use during port stays and does not fully replace onboard energy demand in all cases, particularly where oil-fired boilers remain in use during port stays Despite this, current industry readiness is highly fragmented with around 29% of cruise vessels and 20% of container ships equipped with shore power connections, compared to 7% of bulk carriers and 1% of tankers. Port-side availability is