• Port of Callao’s new shore power system is expected to avoid more than 6,300 tonnes of CO₂e annually.
• The infrastructure forms part of DP World’s $400 million Bicentennial Pier expansion and wider $1 billion investment in Peru.
• Around 80% of vessels calling at Pier 3 can already use the system, giving shipping lines immediate access to renewable electricity at berth.

DP World has launched Latin America’s first shore power system at the Port of Callao, allowing container ships to switch off auxiliary engines while docked.

Instead, compatible vessels can connect directly to 100% certified renewable electricity at the South Terminal. The system reduces fuel consumption, carbon emissions and local air pollution from ships while they are in port.

The infrastructure forms part of DP World’s US$400 million Bicentennial Pier expansion. That development sits within approximately US$1 billion the company has invested in Peru.

Callao is now DP World’s third terminal globally to offer shore power, following Prince Rupert and Vancouver in Canada. The company also plans to expand the technology across its European terminal network.

Cutting emissions from vessels at berth

DP World expects the Callao system to avoid more than 6,300 tonnes of CO₂e each year. That equates to an average reduction of about 30 tonnes per vessel call.

Ships using the system can cut emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter from auxiliary engines by more than 90%.

The infrastructure can supply up to 7.5 MVA to a vessel at berth. This is sufficient to serve the largest container ships calling at Callao at full load.

Around 80% of vessels visiting Pier 3 are already equipped to connect. Four of the seven weekly vessels serving the Peru-Asia trade route are initially expected to use the system.

The CMA CGM PLATINUM, a 13,100-TEU container vessel built in 2025, became the first ship to connect.

The investment addresses an emissions source that has become increasingly important as ports electrify their own equipment. DP World found that vessel emissions at berth were nearly twice those from its terminal operations.

According to a June 2026 white paper from maritime classification and assurance company DNV, only around 3% of ports worldwide currently offer shore power.

Keiko Fujimori, President of Peru, said: “Today, from here (the Port of Callao), we are not only moving cargo; we are moving Peru toward the future. We’re talking about a technology that may seem simple but is of enormous importance, since only 3% of the world’s ports have this technology, and we’re proud that Peru is part of this group, serving as an example of environmental protection and modernization.”

Port investment meets national competitiveness

Peru’s government is positioning port modernization as both an environmental and economic priority.

The Minister of Transport and Communications of Peru, Rafael Rey Rey, further explained: “The shore power system allows compatible ships to connect to the terminal’s electrical grid while docked, so they can shut down their auxiliary engines. This reduces fossil fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, in addition to lowering the noise levels associated with ship operations in port.”

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For shipping companies, shore power also offers a route to reduce direct Scope 1 emissions from fuel burned at berth.

Carlos Merino, CEO of DP World in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, said: “Shore power is the next step in our decarbonization journey. We have transformed our own terminal operations through electrification and renewable energy, and now we are extending those benefits to our customers by helping vessels reduce emissions while at berth. This investment strengthens Peru’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub while supporting more sustainable global supply chains.”

Callao targets 90% operational emissions cut

DP World has invested US$105 million in a broader decarbonization program at Callao. The program combines renewable energy procurement with the electrification of terminal equipment.

Recent investments include 36 electric internal transfer vehicles and Latin America’s first dedicated port charging station for electric vehicles. DP World has also electrified nearly the terminal’s entire yard crane fleet.

Together, the measures put Callao on track to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% by 2030. They also support DP World’s wider ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The investment comes as Callao expands its role in regional trade. In 2025, it became the first terminal on South America’s west coast to handle more than 2 million TEUs in a single year.

For ports and shipping companies, the next challenge is increasingly shared. Electrifying terminals addresses only part of maritime logistics emissions. Cutting pollution from vessels while docked requires coordinated investment in port infrastructure, renewable electricity and compatible ships.

Callao now provides a Latin American example of how those pieces can come together as trade hubs face growing pressure to combine capacity growth with lower-carbon operations.