Ports are complex logistic nodes and industrial districts, and their facilities represent crucial hubs in the logistics network, linking maritime transport to the hinterland and finally to the customers through different transport modes (maritime, rail, road). Air pollution has an important impact on the environment of ports and their surrounding city areas. By providing dedicated solutions within ports, air pollutants can be reduced significantly, leading to healthier cities.
On the other hand, over the last decade, the European Commission has stressed the urgent need to decarbonise the transport sector and improve environmental performance in the fight against climate change, as stated in the Fit for 55 package, committing to cutting emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Valenciaport goes beyond this ambitious target, and aims to achieve net- zero emissions by that time.
Therefore, achieving net-zero emissions is one of the most critical challenges for ports around the world, which are actively seeking for solutions to mitigate the environmental burden of their operations. Ports have to develop their net-zero-emissions strategy, adapting their facilities to the evolution of the different transport modes. Within this context, innovations across the entire logistics chain have become the central axes of the new smart-port paradigm. Valenciaport is leading the path to the green port, with the target of achieving net zero emissions by 2030.
It will be impossible to decarbonise the whole ecosystem, as there are several hard-to abate applications that will not have a technological alternative mature in the short term. For this reason, the only option to become neutral zero would be through compensation, in which a different CO2 (i.e. not necessarily the molecules produced as a result of port activity) is removed from the atmosphere or its release is avoided. In this context, we are looking for CO2 absorption and/or capture technologies, which include examples such as: new materials that absorb CO2, bioabsorption projects on non conventional ways, fixation of captured CO2 (i.e. as active carbon), etc.
On the other hand, there is a need for the measurement of current emissions, and simulation of the Port's carbon footprint in different circumstances and scenarios. The objective would be a platform that allows the modelling of a digital twin of CO2 emissions, which includes the measurements as a starting point and is carried out by simulating new emission scenarios by adding new CO2 sources or absorption systems, or electrification of port activities that reduce CO2 emissions.
