Big port helps small port: transferring knowledge to gain in sustainability

An initiative to share what has been learned

Large ports have financial resources, highly qualified personnel, organizational capacity, leverage and strong partnerships, allowing them to invest in innovative projects and implement new green and sustainable solutions. Small ports, on the other hand, have more limited resources and tend to rely on mature and proven solutions to mitigate potential risks.

But what would happen if the transfer of experience and know-how from the larger and more innovative ports to the smaller ones were favored, in order to create synergies and increase the capacity of the latter to implement green practices?

This is the premise of the study ‘Greenening of European sea ports’, prepared by the European Commission.

• The study identifies the main current challenges in implementing green initiatives, analyzes strategies already tested by major European ports, and provides a roadmap to help smaller ports and other industry players implement similar ones. All with the aim of advancing the quest for sustainability.

“Ports such as Barcelona usually have more resources to innovate and develop new ways and initiatives that contribute to the decarbonization of maritime-port activities. Undoubtedly, this capacity and this acquired knowledge must be transferable to smaller ports or ports with fewer resources. The transition to a more sustainable energy model is everyone's business and no one should be left behind. The solutions of some can help others,” says Hèctor Calls, Director of Environmental Sustainability and Energy Transition at the Port of Barcelona.

Tailored and individual solutions

Among the main challenges and key aspects to be addressed in environmental matters in ports, the study highlights greenhouse gas emissions and other polluting gases, leaks or spills to soil or water, waste management, resource expenditure and the impact on marine and coastal habitats.

Currently, large ports have numerous projects to reduce these environmental impacts, but the study is clear: there is no common solution for all. The efficiency of the practices depends to a large extent on the characteristics of each port, so the transfer of knowledge must be done in an orderly and studied manner.

“While the functions and general purpose of a port as an infrastructure may be common, there are ports that are very different in terms of typology, the activities they host, their configuration, energy availability, etcetera. Having different characteristics entails the need to adopt different solutions,” Calls agrees.

“In my opinion,” he says, ”the key lies in knowing the environment and the system in which you have to apply solutions and at the same time having information on technologies, products, measures and actions that can be adapted to that environment and achieve the objectives set. There are success stories that cannot be fully implemented everywhere and it is therefore necessary to find the formula and the specific configuration between the particularities of each site and the availability of techniques and solutions that are viable”.

Examples of good practices

The European Commission study presents a series of best practices carried out in entities throughout Europe to help smaller ports select those that best suit their characteristics and needs.

• Among them is the one implemented at the Port of Barcelona to eliminate the use of plastic bottles and replace them with fountains located in common areas and in the offices of workers' buildings.
• Another example is the solution designed for the LNG terminal at the same port, which aims to recover waste cooling gases.

According to Calls, there are many other solutions that have proved successful at the Port of Barcelona and could be transferred to smaller ports, such as those related to the analysis of consumption and emissions, which help to define strategies for defining an energy transition plan, or with the electrification of the docks, something that can be scaled to the scale of each port.

“There is also the deployment of renewable energies, especially photovoltaic, which includes large installations, but also small-scale solutions adapted to each site. Or the creation of a supply chain of alternative fuels for ships and for heavy road transport and the incorporation of a circular economy, taking advantage of waste, cold and waste heat and seeking synergies between port operators,” Calls lists.

OThe other projects highlighted in the study are aimed at improving the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems.

• In this area, the Port of Huelva has developed a project that uses innovative bio-tools and dredged material to create habitats conducive to the nesting and reproduction of new species.
• The Port of Malaga is committed to increasing the green spaces in its facilities and surrounding areas.
• The Port of Rotterdam (Netherlands), has installed artificial reefs created with 3D printing to restore ecosystems that have been damaged and thus protect the coastline.

Ports such as Kiel (Germany) and Aarhus (Denmark) have much to contribute in terms of electrification and energy management.

• The Port of Kiel developed an OPS (Onshore Power Supply) system that allows up to seven ships to be connected simultaneously to the port's power grid, which significantly reduces emissions (and other problems, such as noise) during berthing.
• The port of Aarhus has a system of the same type that allows cruise ships to be powered by green energy obtained directly from nearby wind turbines.

Strategic keys

As a result of the analysis of these and many other examples of good practices collected throughout Europe, the European Commission study proposes several strategic ideas for large ports to transfer their knowledge and experience to smaller ones. It highlights the importance of ensuring commitment from different actors, proactive communication, economic viability and cooperation between entities in the same regions.

“In the end, a port is still a very important link in the logistics and transport chain, but it is not the only one, and it maintains many other connections, including a network of ports of different characteristics and dimensions that must also decarbonize their activity and to which the solutions found in our ports can be useful. Decarbonization concerns everyone, it is a global problem and there is no other way than to collaborate and transfer knowledge to achieve the unavoidable goals we have as a society”, agrees Calls.

Added to this is the importance of always maintaining innovative thinking. “In the stages of history where major changes and transformations occur, innovative thinking is more necessary than ever, since new solutions must be found to crucial challenges unknown to mankind, such as climate change. This emergency requires a major energy transition that achieves sustainable development,” Calls explains.

“Innovation is therefore key, both in viable new technological solutions and in the use of energy, as well as in the reformulation of conventional processes and operations. The use of digitalization and intelligent optimization and management systems, as well as the exploration of new synergies between different fields, are fundamental tools and principles to succeed in this great challenge we face,” he adds.

Providing assistance, empowering and encouraging the implementation of more innovative solutions, fostering the creation of collaborative platforms and improving access to funding mechanisms are among the main recommendations of the study to boost this knowledge transfer network and, with it, the sustainability of Europe's ports.