Port issues tender for project management of shore power infrastructure
A major Mediterranean port is procuring project management for ship electrification at berth, marking a concrete move towards cleaner maritime operations.
A major Mediterranean port is procuring project management for ship electrification at berth, marking a concrete move towards cleaner maritime operations.
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Electrifying ships at dock in the Port of Nice is moving from concept to delivery as the metropolitan authority launches a project management contract. The new procurement will set the framework for designing and rolling out shore power infrastructure at a key Côte d’Azur port, with implications for compliance with tightening maritime emissions rules and for the growing market in specialist port electrification services.
On 2nd February 2026, NICE METROPOLE CÔTE D'AZUR published a contract notice for a project management contract for the electrification of ships at dock in the Port of Nice. The description is concise, but it signals a clear intention: to organise and steer the delivery of infrastructure that allows vessels to draw electrical power while they are alongside.
The notice does not elaborate on the technical solution, power capacity or phasing. Instead, it underlines the need for dedicated project management. That puts the emphasis on coordination – aligning engineering design, works, port operations and regulatory expectations – rather than on individual components or technologies.
Given the reference to "electrification of ships at dock", the contract sits squarely in the space commonly described as shore power or onshore power supply. At EU level, initiatives such as FuelEU Maritime are pushing ports and ship operators towards lower-emission energy use while berthed, and this procurement places the Port of Nice on that trajectory.
The choice to procure project management as a stand-alone contract mirrors how other authorities are structuring complex port upgrades.
In January 2026, the Port of Dubrovnik authority, LUČKA UPRAVA DUBROVNIK, launched a project management services contract for the development of maritime infrastructure in the Port of Dubrovnik, as part of a Connecting Europe Facility-funded scheme. There too, external experts are being brought in to steer the development of new port assets rather than simply to build them.
Further north, in October 2025 the regional authority for Nouvelle-Aquitaine issued a project management contract for quay repairs at the Port of Bayonne, focused on cathodic protection. Although the technical subject is different, the pattern is similar: specialist project management used to safeguard critical port infrastructure and manage engineering risk over the life of the works.
On the French Riviera, SPL SUD PLAISANCE set a comparable precedent in October 2025 with a project management mission for the restructuring, modernisation and optimisation of land and port facilities at the Port of Sainte-Maxime. That contract includes optional phases and fixed pricing, underlining how authorities are using tailored project management arrangements to phase investments and keep control of costs.
Across these examples, project managers are positioned as the integrators of multiple disciplines – from civil and electrical engineering to operations and safety. The Nice contract follows this trend, but with a specific focus on shore-side electrification and its interface with ship calls.
The Port of Nice tender also sits within a broader European surge in projects to connect ships to electricity at quay.
In August 2025, the authority for the Seine axis ports issued a notice for an electrical connection system for container ships at the Quai des Amériques in Le Havre. That contract goes beyond project management to cover design studies, construction management, training and ongoing maintenance – a full lifecycle service package for shore power at container terminals.
More recently, on 28th January 2026, the Syndicat Mixte Ports de Normandie launched a tender for electrical connection equipment for passenger ships at berth in the Ports of Caen-Ouistreham, Cherbourg and Dieppe. The focus there is on ferry and cruise terminals, and the notice states that the works are intended to comply with upcoming environmental regulations.
In August 2025, the municipality of Torrevieja in Spain published a contract for a secondary electrification project in its port area, aimed at establishing the electrical infrastructure necessary for future operations. While not framed explicitly as ship connection equipment, it points to the same underlying need: reinforcing port-side power networks so they can support new uses, including potentially shore power.
Taken together, these notices highlight several emerging features of European port electrification:
The Port of Nice project management tender sits within this cohort but is distinctive in its current focus on securing a team to steer the programme, rather than immediately procuring the electrical equipment or works themselves.
The new project management contract also builds on a run of related procurements around Nice’s port and wider transport system.
In August 2025, METROPOLE NICE CÔTE D'AZUR issued a notice for electrical supplies and equipment for the maintenance of Port of Nice installations. While that contract focused on ongoing maintenance rather than new infrastructure, it underlined the port’s reliance on a robust stock of electrical components and the metropolitan authority’s role in managing them.
Later, on 18th December 2025, Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur launched a tender for security, access control and parking management services at the Port of Nice Villefranche Santé. That notice addressed operational safety and site management, complementing the infrastructure-focused electrical contracts.
The metropolitan area is also investing in its wider electrical transport network. On 23rd December 2025, Métropole Nice Cote d'Azur published a contract notice covering the installation of high and low voltage electrical equipment for the extension of tram line 4. That project spans studies, software development, material provision, installation, testing and related services, illustrating the authority’s growing experience in managing complex electrical infrastructure.
On the same day, METROPOLE NICE COTE D'AZUR sought assistance with the financial analysis of public service concession contracts for the metropolis and the City of Nice, including producing financial sheets for control commissions. That move points to a parallel effort to strengthen internal capacity for overseeing complex, long-term service arrangements.
Beyond the port and tramway, AEROPORTS DE LA COTE D'AZUR published a logistics services contract on 22nd December 2025 for the movement of goods in Terminal 2’s basement at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport. While unrelated to shore power, it underscores the region’s current focus on the nuts and bolts of transport infrastructure and operations.
Seen in this context, the new Port of Nice project management tender looks less like an isolated initiative and more like the next phase in a wider programme of electrical and operational upgrades across the metropolis.
The brief description of the Port of Nice contract leaves several important questions open. The notice does not spell out how far the project management mission will extend into detailed design, procurement of electrical equipment, or supervision of works. Nor does it indicate how the scheme will be phased, how it will interact with existing port operations, or how it will be scaled for different ship types.
As the procurement progresses, further documentation will be key to understanding the ambition of the programme and its alignment with EU measures such as FuelEU Maritime and other environmental regulations referenced in comparable tenders, notably in Normandy. For suppliers, the Nice contract is a signal that shore power and related port electrification schemes continue to move from policy discussions to concrete, multi-year projects – with project management sitting at the centre of delivery.
For policymakers and port operators watching the shift to cleaner maritime operations, the Port of Nice initiative will offer another test case of how to organise, govern and sequence electrification at a busy urban port.
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