Updated December 2

A Norwegian-flagged cruise liner disengaged its engines on Friday and connected to Grand Habour’s onshore electricity supply, becoming the first locally docked ship to take its electricity supply completely from shore.

The Grand Habour's Shore-to-Ship project, which has been years in the making, allows docked cruise liners to power their services using the energy grid, rather than their own engines. 

All five passenger quays at the harbour - three at Xatt ta’ Pinto in Floriana, one at l-Għassar tal-Għeneb at Marsa, and the other one at Boiler Wharf, Senglea - are being equipped with the facility. 

Those quays have all been tested extensively in recent weeks as the project enters its trial phase, Infrastructure Malta, which carried out the works, said. 

The Norwegian-flagged Viking Saturn is at Pinto 1 and 2 quays and is receiving 3.1-megawatt hours. 

It was joined on Saturday by another ship, Venus, which was also connected to land power at Boiler Wharf at the same time.  

Infrastructure Malta says the project is expected to cut 90% of air pollution by cruise liners at the Grand Harbour and will provide cleaner air for the 17,000 families residing around the harbour area.

IM said that a 2015 European study estimates that each passenger ship spending eight hours docked in the port emits 1.2 tonnes of nitrogen oxide.

This is equivalent to the emissions from 300,000 cars driving from Ċirkewwa to Marsaxlokk simultaneously.

Additionally, these ships release 30 kilograms of particulate matter emissions (fine dust in the air), mirroring the emissions from 180,000 vehicles travelling the entire length of Malta.