The Problem

Ports Are Electrically Extreme Environments

Container terminals concentrate some of the most demanding electrical loads in any commercial operation. Ship-to-shore cranes regenerate energy during hoist-down cycles, creating voltage spikes. Cold ironing connections deliver 1–16 MVA per vessel with massive transients. Hundreds of reefer compressors cycle simultaneously. And e-RTG crane VFDs draw 25–50% THD current.

$1.9M
Typical annual savings for a 2M TEU container terminal

What Causes It

Regeneration, Transients, and Reefer Chaos

STS cranes regenerate 5–10 kWh per cycle, 25–30 times per hour. That energy feeds back as voltage spikes. Cold ironing — increasingly mandated by EU AFIR — creates connection transients as ships plug in. And 2,000 reefer slots mean 2,000 compressors cycling on shared circuits.

The shore power mandate challenge + Read more− Close

EU AFIR mandates shore power at major ports by 2030. Each connection delivers 1–16 MVA through frequency converters that generate significant harmonic distortion. Without power quality management, ports face the double cost of infrastructure upgrades for capacity and harmonic mitigation. HarmoniQ addresses the power quality dimension, potentially reducing the scale of infrastructure investment needed.

The Solution

How HarmoniQ Works

HarmoniQ’s narrowband tuning technology responds dynamically to the rapid, unpredictable load changes that define port operations. Sampling 20,000 times per second, the system tracks crane regeneration events, vessel connections, and reefer cycling in real time.

Tier 1
HarmoniQ Filter

Eliminates harmonics from crane VFDs, reefer compressors, and shore power converters, reducing THD below 5%. Extends STS crane drive life (replacement cost: $190,000–$510,000 per unit).

HarmoniQ Filter
Tier 2
HarmoniQ Alpha

Manages crane regenerative transients and cold ironing connection events. Stabilises voltage across the terminal, protecting reefer monitoring systems and container tracking infrastructure.

HarmoniQ Alpha
Tier 3
HarmoniQ Booster

Drives power factor to 0.98+, responding dynamically to rapid PF variations from crane cycling and vessel connections.

HarmoniQ Booster

The Impact

What This Means for Your Terminal
Savings Snapshot2M TEU container terminal — $12.4M annual electricity cost
MetricBeforeAfter HarmoniQImprovement
Power factor0.760.98+28.9%
Voltage THD8.4%3.2%−62%
Annual electricity cost$12,400,000$10,540,000−$1,900,000
Want to know the full picture?

Every facility is different. Our engineers will model the exact savings, deployment costs, and timeline for your specific site — get in touch for a free, no-obligation assessment.

Beyond the Bill

Shore Power Readiness & IMO 2050

Clean power extends crane drive, reefer monitoring, and transformer life by 20–35%. It also protects against cargo temperature excursions that damage high-value refrigerated shipments.

An annual saving of 925 tonnes CO₂ supports IMO 2050 targets and EcoPorts certification.

Zero operational disruption
HarmoniQ installs during normal port operations — no berth closures, no crane downtime, no impact on vessel schedules.

How It Works

Three Steps. Zero Disruption.
1
→
Assess
Our engineers audit your electrical network and identify exactly where energy is being wasted.
2
→
Install
HarmoniQ deploys in parallel at your switchboard — no shutdowns, no disruption, no risk.
3
→
Save
Savings start from day one, verified in real time through our live monitoring portal.

Common Misconceptions

What We Hear — and the Reality
Myth
“Crane operations are inherently volatile — you can’t smooth that out.”
Reality
You can’t change the load profile of a crane cycle, but you can eliminate the reactive power waste and harmonic distortion it creates. HarmoniQ doesn’t slow your cranes down — it ensures every kWh they draw does useful work instead of heating cables and tripping equipment downstream.
Myth
“Shore power compliance is our only PQ concern — and that’s a 2030 problem.”
Reality
Shore power is coming, but your reefer compressors and crane VFDs are costing you millions right now. Power quality correction delivers immediate savings from existing loads while also preparing your infrastructure for shore power integration — reducing the total investment needed when the mandate arrives.
Myth
“Reefer temperature excursions are a refrigeration unit problem, not a power problem.”
Reality
Reefer compressor controllers are sensitive to voltage distortion. THD above 5% causes controller instability that leads to temperature cycling beyond setpoint. A single reefer cargo claim can exceed the entire cost of a HarmoniQ installation. Clean power means more stable reefer performance across all 2,000 slots.