OPS at the Crossroads of Europe’s Energy and Port Strategies

EOPSA welcomes the strong convergence between the European Commission’s Electrification Action Plan and the European Ports Strategy, and particularly their shared recognition of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) as strategic infrastructure for Europe’s future.

For EOPSA, this convergence between the work of DG ENER and DG MOVE is particularly significant. Electrification cannot be developed in one policy silo while ports and maritime transport are addressed in another. OPS sits precisely at the intersection of energy, grids, transport, ports and industrial policy.

The Electrification Action Plan recognises this reality. It identifies grid access and capacity as major barriers to electrification and explicitly calls for ports to be integrated into network planning and grid-capacity expansion. More importantly, it states that port infrastructure has significant potential to enable maritime electrification through OPS and highlights grid planning, demand forecasting, storage and local energy systems as elements capable of transforming ports into energy hubs.

This closely echoes the direction EOPSA advocated ahead of the Action Plan.

In our Joint Industry Letters, supported by companies and organisations across the maritime electrification ecosystem, we called on the Commission to fully integrate ports and maritime electrification into the Electrification Action Plan. We argued that the Plan and the Ports Strategy should reinforce one another, connecting OPS with grid capacity, smart grids, battery storage, demand management and port microgrids.

We also argued that ports should no longer be considered simply as electricity consumers. Through OPS, storage, local generation, flexibility and smart energy management, they can become active participants in Europe's electricity system, resilient energy hubs supporting both maritime transport and surrounding industrial ecosystems.

This convergence also reinforces the message of EOPSA's April 2026 publication, AGE OF OPS.

There, we described OPS not simply as an emissions-reduction technology, but as the point where the wider “Age of Electrification” materialises within ports and maritime operations.

OPS creates the physical interface between vessels, ports and the electricity system. Combined with batteries, renewable generation, storage, terminal electrification, digital energy management and ultimately port microgrids, it becomes a strategic enabler of a much broader transformation.

EOPSA therefore strongly welcomes the European Commission's recognition of this strategic intersection. The Electrification Action Plan even proposes an Electrification Action Plan Alliance, bringing national authorities and stakeholders across the value chain together in synergy with the Energy Union Task Force.

Now, let's speed up implementation. DG ENER, DG MOVE, Member States, ports, grid operators and industry must work together.

Europe has recognised the opportunity. Now we need to connect the policies, connect the infrastructure just connect ships.

Let’s get connected!