Summary:
Maritime transport accounts for about 90% of world trade and 2.5% of global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and in relation to Europe, it is estimated that transport accounts for a quarter of its GHG emissions.
In this context, and according to the guidelines of the European Green Deal, ports play an important role in its achievement, and should therefore reduce emissions from port activity by 50% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and by 90% by 2050. Consequently, Port Authorities are expected to cooperate and help lead this transition process and promote a sustainable type of maritime-land transport and logistics, while maintaining the economic prosperity of the region.
In view of this scenario, the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) established in its Innovation Strategy 2021-2025 an exclusive innovation focus on “Sustainability and climate neutrality”, with strategic objectives such as decarbonizing port activity and mitigating emissions of polluting gases (GHG and aerosols) to reduce climate change and improve air quality; increasing the environmental quality of port activity in the port-city interface; or preserving the marine ecosystem and biodiversity, guaranteeing the compatibility of port activity, among others.
The first step in this transition towards decarbonization is the identification of port-related emissions across all port-logistic sources and activities. As ports pursue climate neutrality goals, it is essential to accurately measure GHG emissions and carbon footprint. Only in this way it’s possible to obtain a granular view with which to establish baselines, identify reduction opportunities and monitor the progress and effectiveness of policies and projects undertaken.
That is why the APBA has decided to implement the “EmissionInsider” solution of the Dutch start-up PortXchange, founded in Rotterdam, with innovative digital solutions to help shipping companies and port communities around the world to be more efficient and reduce the carbon footprint of the industry.
The objective of this project focuses on deploying an innovative tool to identify emission sources by modal split, in real time, to support the APBA’ s Green Strategy and to develop a baseline inventory of emissions at its facilities.
The product is mainly based on the use of vessel AIS data and data on volume (weight), geographic location of the trade route, mode and distance traveled by land vehicles, in combination with Artificial Intelligence algorithms and modeling techniques, to obtain specific indicators (heat maps, time series, hot spots or detailed reports) and complete dashboards with self-service analytics capabilities.
Expected results:
- To display a digital tool for active monitoring of maritime-port pollution, focused on the control of GHG emissions.
- Use reliable data to prioritize decarbonization initiatives and allocate investments accordingly.
- Lead the transition to a greener, more sustainable port and assist the Port Community in taking action.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policies and sustainability projects.
- Track progress towards a zero-emission port.
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