Svolvær Shore Power Upgrade Shows the Operational Side of OPS
The shore power facility in Svolvær, in Norway’s Lofoten region, has been upgraded with ShoreLink’s latest Cable Management System, delivered through Plug’s shore power network. Plug said the system is now successfully in operation and has already connected to Havila Polaris, Havila Pollux and Hurtigruten Nordlys.
For the OPS market, the detail matters. Shore power is often discussed through grid capacity, berth investment and vessel compliance. Svolvær adds another layer: the physical interface between ship and quay. Cable management is where high-intention infrastructure becomes a usable daily operation.
The project brings together several parts of the local and maritime value chain. Plug is the shore power operator behind the Svolvær facility, with Plug Lofoten playing the delivery role on the ground. ShoreLink supplied the Cable Management System. Havila Kystruten and Hurtigruten bring the vessel side of the equation through regular coastal calls, while Lofotkraft AS, Vågan Havnevesen KF and Lofoten Elektro AS connect the project to the local energy, harbour and electrical infrastructure ecosystem.
That combination is important because OPS is not a single-asset investment. It needs a vessel ready to connect, a berth able to supply power, a grid partner able to support the load, and a handling system that makes the operation safe for people working alongside the ship. In Svolvær, those pieces are being tested in live coastal operations.
The technology is intentionally practical. A Cable Management System helps move, position and manage heavy shore power cables between the quay and the vessel. That reduces manual handling, improves safety around the berth, and supports a more reliable connection process. The photo shared from Svolvær shows the system managing multiple cables to a Havila vessel, illustrating why the machinery around the plug is now becoming part of the OPS story.
Havila Kystruten’s involvement gives the article wider significance. The company’s coastal vessels have been promoted around large battery packs and lower-emission operation on Norway’s coastal route. Hurtigruten’s Nordlys, meanwhile, places the system within an established passenger and expedition-cruise operating environment. Together, the calls show how shore power has to serve mixed coastal traffic, not only the biggest cruise or container berths.
Svolvær also offers a useful message for island, archipelago and destination ports. Smaller and remote ports can be central to maritime decarbonisation when they sit on repeated vessel routes. Their advantage is utilisation: the same operators return, procedures improve, and local partners can turn a connection point into a working service.
For Mediterranean ports, including those preparing for cleaner passenger, ferry, cruise and superyacht calls, the practical message is clear. Shore power must be designed around how crews actually connect, how cables are handled, how the local grid participates, and how ports maintain safe, quiet and efficient calls without making the berth more complicated.
DTF’s audience should watch Svolvær for that reason. The project shows that the next layer of OPS deployment will be judged not only by capacity installed, but by the quality of the operating system around the berth. Ports that solve the connection process will be better placed to raise usage rates, reduce emissions alongside, and make shore power feel normal for shipowners and port teams.
Svolvær’s new ShoreLink Cable Management System, delivered with Plug and local partners, shows why the practical vessel-to-quay interface is becoming central to successful shore power operations.
Key Information and Statistics
- Location: Svolvær, Lofoten, Norway.
- Project: Upgrade of the Svolvær shore power facility with ShoreLink’s latest Cable Management System.
- Operational status: Successfully connected this week to Havila Polaris, Havila Pollux and Hurtigruten Nordlys, according to Plug’s LinkedIn update supplied to the newsroom.
- Technology focus: Cable handling, safer vessel connection, reduced manual handling and more efficient shore power operations.
- Main parties: Plug | Onshore Power Supply, ShoreLink, Havila Kystruten, Hurtigruten, Lofotkraft AS, Vågan Havnevesen KF and Lofoten Elektro AS.
- Local delivery: Plug Lofoten, including Hanne Grøn, Svein-Joar Husjord and Randi Lervik, were credited by Plug for their project dedication.
- Existing facility context: Plug lists Vågan/Svolvær as a shore power location for coastal express and expedition vessels.
- Capacity context: Plug’s Vågan page lists low-voltage capacity of 2.5 MVA, with six cables and 400-600V at 50/60 Hz.
