The Port of San Diego in the US west coast state of California is to provide shoreside power at the new $28 million cruise ship terminal to be built on the Broadway Pier.

A design for the new building was agreed this week after negotiations with the Centre City Development Corp. It will include a cold-ironing conduit that will comply with California’s regulation to provide ships with shore power, a report in the San Diego Metropolitan said.

This will allow cruise ships to turn off their diesel engines while at berth.

Part of the project will be paid by the Port’s environmental funds, the report added.

In 2007, the Port of San Diego had 238 cruise calls with more than 700,000 passengers. By the end of 2008, the Port anticipates that number to jump to 252 cruises and more than 800,000 passengers.

The cold-ironing facility is part of the port's Green Port Program. This was developed by the Port of San Diego to support the goals of the Environmental Sustainability Policy that was approved by the Board of Port Commissioners in 2007.

One of the goals under the Green Port Program is to pursue grant funding for cold ironing at both the Cruise Ship Terminal and Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, a company report said.

The port is currently conducting feasibility studies for cold ironing at National City Marine Terminal.

Construction of the terminal at Broadway Pier is estimated to take between 12 and 15 months, with a completion date of the end of 2010.

Earlier this year the Port of Los Angeles revealed it would be adding cold-ironing to the China Shipping Container Line terminal Berth 97-109. Ships can currently cold iron at berth 100, but the project includes a new wharf at berth 102 with the 15-month construction period expected to start in 2009.