Four large cruise ships docked near Marseille’s port generate continuous engine noise and occasional visible emissions that affect the nearby Saint-Andre neighborhood. City Hall plans to electrify cruise ships and connect them to the grid so ships can shut down engines while retaining onboard services, and to power shipyard repairs and dock operations. Data centers active in the port area since 2021 currently have energy priority and consume and reserve large amounts of electricity. That priority creates uncertainty over available power, raises the prospect of supply conflicts, and has pushed the electrification project back to 2029. Local political opinions diverge on the issue.
The silhouettes of these floating hotels are familiar sights from some of the homes in the humble Saint-Andre neighborhood. Located in the northwest of the city, it's the closest to the port area. Residents have to live with the constant roar of the engines of these steel hulks, which must remain running to provide onboard services. The sea breeze makes the smoke spewing from their chimneys barely perceptible today but locals tell EL PAIS that, on some days, the air is very cloudy.
City Hall has a plan to make the presence of cruise ships more bearable: electrify them and connect them to the grid, so they can shut down their engines and still continue operating. The idea is that shipyard repairs as well as loading and unloading operations at the dock will also use this energy. But it's unclear whether there will be enough electricity to make this feasible.
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