Igus iMSPO: Making the Shore Power Connection

As ports worldwide race to expand shore power infrastructure, a core challenge continues to slow progress: fixed cabling solutions simply aren’t designed for the way ships call today. Vessel sizes have surged, shipping alliances shift vessel rotations constantly, and growing berth density forces ports to position ships wherever operational priorities allow—not necessarily where an outlet is installed.

For ports committed to emissions reduction, these constraints create an unacceptable reality: ships arrive but cannot always plug in.

The igus Mobile Shore Power Outlet (iMSPO) aims to fundamentally change that.

Developed by igus, a global, family-owned engineering company with more than one billion euros in annual revenue and 5,000 employees worldwide, iMSPO is built around a simple promise: shore power should be available to every vessel, at every position, every time.

And according to Sean McCaskill, Shore Power Manager for the Americas, it’s a promise grounded in real operational needs, not theoretical engineering.

Shore power should be seamless. Ports are in the business of moving cargo, not wrestling with cables. The iMSPO lets them focus on what they do best.”

- Sean McCaskill,
Shore Power Manager, Americas, igus

A Dynamic Environment, A Mobile Solution

Unlike legacy fixed outlets spaced along a quay, iMSPO is a fully self-propelled shore power unit that can travel the entire length of a berth. Powered by the company’s proven igus roller e-chain technology, engineered for long travel distances in demanding container‐handling environments, the system can be positioned anywhere along the waterfront to make a direct, standards-compliant IEC 80005-1 connection.

“Ports never imagined we’d be berthing vessels this large or this variably,” McCaskill notes. “Fixed outlets simply can’t keep pace with the operational flexibility modern terminals require.”

That operational flexibility is not merely a convenience. It directly affects:

• Berth planning efficiency

• Labor and safety

• Turnaround time

• Emission-reduction compliance

With fixed outlets, port planners often have to position vessels sub-optimally just to reach a connection point. iMSPO removes this constraint entirely. For operations teams tasked with maximizing crane productivity, that matters.

“We want shore power to stop being ‘an event,’” McCaskill says. “It should be as routine as putting the lines out.”

Reducing Labor, Improving Safety

One of the least discussed pain points in shore power adoption is the sheer physical burden of connecting a ship. Cables sized for megawatt-scale power transfer can weigh hundreds of pounds and are traditionally maneuvered by hand or small teams of workers.

McCaskill doesn’t mince words: “The cables are extremely big, extremely heavy, and you have to move them around. We’re trying to take that burden off the workers.”

The iMSPO is engineered to eliminate heavy cable handling entirely:

• The operator positions the iMSPO alongside the vessel.

• Automated or semi-automated handling gear presents the connectors safely and ergonomically.

• A trained technician completes the plug-in procedure in minutes.

The goal: a 10–15 minute total connect/disconnect time, compared to traditional processes that can take 40 minutes or more. In high-volume terminals where vessel turnaround is measured in dollars per minute, this time savings is not trivial.

Turning Multiple Fixed Assets into One Mobile Investment

One of the iMSPO’s strongest selling points is its impact on total installed cost.

A fixed solution typically requires:

• Multiple power vaults

• Extensive medium-voltage cabling

• Civil works

• Multiple pit or crane-mounted outlets

• Ongoing maintenance across all distributed assets

By contrast, a single iMSPO can cover an entire berth, eliminating the need to duplicate infrastructure every 50 or 100 meters along the quay.

This transforms what was once a multi-infrastructure spend into a consolidated, one-time capital investment. Maintenance follows the same logic: instead of dozens of static outlets, ports maintain one mobile, centralized system.

Cold Ironing for Every Ship, Every Call

The environmental benefits are immediate and significant.

By enabling ships to shut down diesel generators while alongside, ports dramatically reduce NOX emissions, SOX emissions, Particulate matter and Greenhouse gases.

These emissions historically impact the communities closest to port operations. Enabling every ship—regardless of berth position—to plug in supports a cleaner port footprint and aligns with tightening regional mandates in California, British Columbia, Europe, and beyond.

A major concern for ports is standardization: will a system installed today work with ships arriving from Asia? Europe? The U.S. East Coast?

McCaskill says the answer is an emphatic yes.

“We use the international standard documentation to ensure compliance and interoperability,” he explains. “A ship that plugs in here should be able to plug in anywhere.”

This standards-forward approach has helped accelerate adoption. According to McCaskill, igus now has more than 50 systems operating, under construction, or under contract worldwide, spanning container ships, cruise vessels, car carriers, and even rail ferries.

Installations range from multiple terminals in the Port of Hamburg, to a highly engineered e-chain reel solution, to the widely viewed Rotterdam Cruise Terminal project—where igus’ technology is highlighted as a core component of the port’s shore-power modernization.

As regulatory, environmental, and operational pressures converge, ports need scalable solutions that make shore power easy—not another bottleneck that forces compromise.

McCaskill sums it up simply:

“Shore power should be seamless. Ports are in the business of moving cargo, not wrestling with cables. The iMSPO lets them focus on what they do best.”

With its mobility, safety-first design, global interoperability, and ability to deliver real economic value, the igus iMSPO is emerging not merely as a new product but as a new model for how ports can deliver shore power—everywhere it’s needed, every time a ship is tied up.