Engineering Analysis Validates Transformer-Based Shore Power as the Optimal Choice for Cruise Ship Berths
- Watts Marine
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Global engineering leader’s findings confirm Watts Marine’s proven approach to reliable, cost-effective port electrification
KINGSTON, Wash. (February 25, 2026) As ports accelerate investments in shore power to meet tightening air-quality regulations and cruise industry electrification goals, Watts Marine, the trusted authority in maritime energy innovation, today highlighted new findings from L&T Digital Energy Solutions that validate the company’s long-standing approach to shore power system design.
In the whitepaper On-Shore Power Systems for Cruise Ships, L&T Digital Energy Solutions, a global leader in power transmission, distribution, and digital energy engineering, presents a comprehensive technical analysis comparing transformer-based and power-electronics converter-based shore power architectures. The analysis concludes that transformer-based shore power systems deliver superior reliability, lower total cost of ownership, and better alignment with cruise vessel electrical systems at 60-hertz ports, particularly across North America.
With shore power adoption accelerating across major cruise destinations, and regulatory mandates expanding in North America and globally, Watts Marine sees L&T’s analysis as timely confirmation for port authorities and utilities making long-term infrastructure decisions.
“These findings reinforce what Watts Marine has demonstrated through decades of real-world operations from Nova Scotia to San Francisco,” said Mike Watts, Principal, Watts Marine. “Transformer-based shore power is proven, predictable, and built for long-term reliability. L&T’s analysis validates why this approach continues to deliver the highest uptime and lowest risk for ports and cruise operators.”
Watts Marine designs, builds, and operates transformer-based, end-to-end shore power systems for North American ports, delivering complete electrical infrastructure with patented automation, engineered safety, and continuous operational oversight. With more than two decades of experience delivering shore power for vessel berths across North America, Watts Marine has helped make port electrification reliable and scalable. That work began with a partnership with Princess Cruises. Watts Marine’s first installation in Seattle for Princess helped expand shore power from a pilot project in Alaska to berths across the lower 48 states.
L&T’s analysis validates this approach across critical performance categories, including capital cost, lifecycle maintenance, power quality, electrical protection, and operational reliability.
Among the key conclusions highlighted in the whitepaper:
Lower total cost of ownership: Converter-based systems typically carry a 10–20% capital cost premium and higher ongoing maintenance requirements driven by power electronics, cooling systems, and control hardware. Transformer-based systems rely on passive equipment with well-understood, predictable lifecycle costs.
Longer service life: Transformer-based systems routinely achieve 30–35 years of operation, compared to 7–10 years for large-scale converter systems, which may require multiple replacements over the life of a port installation.
Improved protection and reliability: Transformer-based systems provide robust, predictable fault-current behavior that aligns naturally with cruise vessel protection schemes, reducing nuisance trips and improving operational reliability.
Inherent power quality and EMI performance: Transformers deliver natural harmonic mitigation and galvanic isolation, minimizing electromagnetic interference and often eliminating the need for complex active filtering.
Higher efficiency in 60-hertz ports: Where utility and vessel frequencies already match no conversion is required with a transformer based system, frequency converters add no functional benefit and introduce unnecessary losses and complexity.
Media Contact: Cortney Piper
C: 865-789-2669
About Watts Marine
Watts Marine is the trusted authority in maritime energy innovation. We deliver end-to-end shore power solutions—designed, built, and operated by one team, for unmatched reliability and accountability. What began as a mission to connect berthed cruise vessels to local power grids has evolved into a leading solution that electrifies ports across North America, enabling cleaner, quieter coastal communities. With more than two decades of proven success, Watts Marine is the maritime industry’s most trusted advisor—powering energy transformations for a sustainable global future. For more information, visit www.watts-marine.com.
About the Whitepaper
On-Shore Power Systems for Cruise Ships was authored by L&T Digital Energy Solutions, part of Larsen & Toubro Limited, a global engineering and technology firm with deep expertise in power transmission, distribution, and digital energy systems. The whitepaper provides a standards-based technical evaluation of shore power system architectures for cruise vessel applications.
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