Do ships at anchor generate their own electricity or do they connect a land line?

Question

I mean big commercial vessels, not personal craft.

Answer 1

They always use their own generating systems,the demand being very high and there on shore connection would have to be quite large.

Answer 2

i would say that they make there own power, the cost of connecting an paying for the amount of power that they use would be expensive, where the can make it cheap, an it would be like hooking a power line to the ship.

they use enough power to run 1000 houses or more. that's a huge electric line

Answer 3

At Anchor  =  NOT at Land!!!

Sorry, but you obviously didn't think this one out.

Go with generator.....

Answer 4

ships create their own power by their generators.  they probably would only use shore power when they are laid up, in a ship yard or a long term layberth.

Answer 5

ships  ALWAYS  run on their  generators   but small boat s  and yachts hook up to  shore powerwhen along side

Answer 6

Commercial vessels always make their own power, even when at dock.

Answer 7

At Anchor they would most likely run their own generator, Bethed (tied to a wharf) most likely shore power

Answer 8

At anchor, ships generate their own electricity

.At anchor, smaller boats either use a generator or an inverter or their batteries. You can not attach a shore power line while at anchor. Shore power is for when tied to a dock.

Answer 9

Traditionally ships in port generate their own power.  Ships will often switch over to a cleaner burning fuel as they approach land, this will reduce the amount of SOx (sulfur oxides) and particulates released.  They will remain on a cleaner fuel (like diesel - as opposed to heavy bunker) while they are alongside and until they leave the harbor zone.   In some parts of the world ships are required to burn low sulfur fuels to further lower SOx emissions.  

Some ships - certain fleets of container ships servicing certain ports along the West Coast of the USA for example -  have agreed to use shore power for hoteling loads (lights, A/C, typical household type electrical needs) while they are in port.  There are still some major issues which are being worked out - who is liable for any damages (to the ship, the port or the power grid), who connects the "extension cord" (this is a dangerous job - the arc could cause serious injury), how do you ensure that the ship and the power grid are in phase - and because of these issues, as far as I am aware the ships are still running their own generators.  

"Cold Ironing" (an old Navy term) or "Alternative Marine Power" will happen; the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) put together a study group to consider and address the issue a few years ago.  The latest paper I have seen concluded that the technology is largely in place, the port infrastructure will need some modification and the cooperation of the land based and marine communities will need to increase significantly, however in our life time it is likely that we will see large hydrocarbon carriers using shore based power.