Liberia: Safe OPS guidelines in international ports

Liberia Maritime Authority has released a marine advisory on interim guidelines on safe operation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) service in port for ships engaged on international voyages.

This advisory was published on 13 November 2023 and it is addressed to shipowners, operators, and masters.

The purpose of this Marine Advisory is to provide guidance on the safe operation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) in port for ships, considering the Interim guidelines on the safe operation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) service in port for ships engaged in international voyages in MSC.1/Circ. 1675.

The application of onshore power supply (OPS) (alternative maritime power (AMP), cold ironing, shore-side electricity, and onshore power supply, high- or low-voltage shore connection, respectively) is increasing, and the Interim Guidelines have been developed with special consideration for the safe operation of the OPS.

For Tankers, the provisions in the Interim Guidelines (MSC.1/Circ. 1675) may be specially considered. These Interim Guidelines do not apply to the electrical power supply during dry docking periods and other out-of-service maintenance and repair.

Technical design, installation, and testing requirements for the OPS system are provided by the standard: IEC/IEEE 80005-1:2019: Utility connections in port – Part 1: High Voltage Shore Connection (HVSC) Systems – General requirements, or other equivalent standards. The standard IEC/IEEE DIS 80005-3, Utility connections in port – Part 3: Low Voltage Shore Connection (LVSC) Systems – General requirements, is under development, and the procedures for low voltage in MSC.1/Circ. 1675 would be revised by IMO when an international standard for low-voltage OPS systems has been published.

The safety of ships, personnel, and power supply systems should be ensured by the shore and ship side during the establishment of a connection of the shore power, during all operations, in the event of a failure, during disconnection, and when the systems are not in use.

Shipowners/Operators are encouraged to develop checklists and procedures for the safe operation of OPS service in ports for their vessels, utilizing the Interim Guidelines (MSC.1/Circ. 1675) and other available guidance.

For more information, please see the documents below (available only to subscribers):