Vienna Cuts Ship Emissions with Land Power

Vienna Energie now supplies thirteen new land power facilities to cabin ships along the Danube, offering them eco-friendly electricity instead of diesel. The city expects this shift to avoid roughly 17,350 tons of CO₂ annually and reduce noise levels near the Danube.

Around the Reichsbrücke and in the Freudenau harbor, docked ships will experience quieter and cleaner conditions. A typical ship uses as much electricity in one day at port as an Austrian household does in a year, according to Wien Energie. Approximately 2,700 cabin ships bring around 413,000 visitors to Vienna each year.

The city completed a successful test run in autumn 2025 before fully activating the facilities. The project received funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility. While all Austrian Danube federal states now have land power infrastructure, Vienna’s high ship traffic and long docking times create a particularly high energy demand.