Offshore charging stations could be installed outside the Panama Canal for idling ships and marine service vessels, enabling them to use electrical power instead of engines and generators
Maersk group’s Stillstrom has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to consider installing offshore charging technology to reduce emissions from idling vessels.
Energy storage systems on board pilot boats and escort tugs with hybrid or full-electric propulsion could also use them for charging, depending on the connectivity.
Around 14,000 vessels annually use the Panama Canal, which links the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean, acting as a focal point for shipping.
ACP is considering installing offshore charging units as part of its decarbonisation journey, as it is already reducing emissions from ship handling by investing in a new fleet of escort and harbour tugs that have batteries on board for hybrid propulsion. The first of these newbuild tugs was delivered by a Spanish shipyard in Q1 2025.
