Hamburg, Yokohama, Tangier on the decarbonization path

/in /by

By Marek Grzybowski

Ports around the world are joining forces to engage in transport decarbonisation policy. Modernisation programmes are used to build competitive advantage. One of them is the WPCAP (World Ports Climate Action Programme), implemented within five working groups. Port authorities and institutions cooperating with them combine knowledge on the latest technical achievements and technologies, develop joint projects, create decarbonisation policy with the participation of shipowners and terminal operators. None of the five projects includes a Polish seaport.

The World Ports Climate Action Programme project has been implemented since 2019. At that time, the action plans of the working groups were approved. They included the activities of the working groups and schedules for completing milestones over a 5-year period (2019–2023). These activities included raising awareness and implementing pilot solutions. Modernisation programmes were implemented even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

– Polish ports and terminals must modernise themselves just like the ports in Hamburg, Antwerp or Rotterdam are doing. They must adapt their infrastructure to innovative ships and fuels and be ready to power ships from the quayside with electricity and bunker ships with alternative fuels – said, among others, Marek Tarczyński, President of the Polish Chamber of Forwarding and Logistics, summarizing the debate on logistics as part of the Maritime Economy Forum 2024 in Gdynia.

A.P. Moller – Maersk officially named its newest dual-fuel methanol container ship, “Alexandra Maersk”, during a ceremony held recently in the port of Felixstowe in the UK. “Alexandra Maersk” is the sixth ship in the Maersk fleet that can be powered by methanol. It is part of a series of 18 large dual-fuel ships, the delivery of which is planned for 2025. Each of them can carry over 16,000 standard containers (TEU).

Each working group focused on a different issue. Group 1 was tasked with analyzing efficiency measures. This problem was solved by the port authorities of Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Valencia, Vancouver. Policy analysis in Team 2 was led by Antwerp, Hamburg, Gothenburg, Le Havre, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Valencia, Vancouver and Yokohama.

POWER2SHIP was undertaken by Group 3 by Antwerp, Hamburg, Le Havre, Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Valencia, Vancouver. The issue of alternative fuels for ships and their bunkering technology was implemented in Team 4 by Antwerp, Barcelona, ​​Gothenburg, Le Havre, New York/New Jersey, Rotterdam, Vancouver, Yokohama. The issue of introducing innovative and ecological equipment for cargo handling was the subject of the fifth team of experts, which included: Long Beach, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Valencia, Vancouver, Yokohama.

Ports’ Climate Action
WPCAP activities are also linked to other initiatives, such as the IAPH Clean Marine Fuels Working Group, the IAPH Environmental Shipping Index Working Group and the Port Call Optimization Taskforce. The World Ports Sustainability Program platform is used to disseminate the results of various WPCAP working group activities, as well as to share knowledge and progress reports.

The energy transformation is being implemented on a large scale in the shipping industry. Shipowners, unable to decide on a specific solution, are opting for dual-fuel or hybrid systems. Ships with such propulsion systems are making up an increasing share of shipyards’ order portfolios.

Despite the dominant role of Asian plants, ships with innovative propulsion systems are also being built in Europe. It was at the CRSIT shipyard that a series of electric ferries was built for a customer in Finland. Remontowa Shipbuilding has built six electric-hybrid ferries (four for a Norwegian shipowner and two for a British shipowner), and the seventh – for another Norwegian shipowner – is under construction. Additionally, the same shipyard built a series of ferries powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) for a Canadian customer, and the Gdańsk Shipyard “Remontowa” im. J. Piłsudski S.A. converted the propulsion system of the Stena Germanik to a methanol-powered system. According to information from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight, orders for ships with methanol-powered engines (138 contracts) in 2023 exceeded for the first time contracts for dual-fuel drives powered by gas from the LNG system (130). The shipyard’s portfolios also include a dozen or so ships that will have ammonia-powered engines.

– The Port of Hamburg is well on its way to achieving this goal. So far, 13 ships have been bunkered with LNG in Hamburg, including several cruise ships. However, creating the necessary conditions for bunkering was a long process, says Ralf Johanning from Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V.

Shipowners introducing engines powered by gas, methanol, ammonia expect ports to be ready to handle such units. Ports are asked about the possibility of efficient bunkering of these fuels. The fact that shipowners are increasingly investing in ships with engines that use alternative fuels was discussed, giving numerous examples, by Paweł Grobelny, senior surveyor at DNV during the recent PPLNG&bioLNG 2024 conference, which took place in Gdynia at the beginning of October this year.

Port and City of Hamburg for decarbonization

The work related to the implementation of decarbonization is being carried out by the Port of Hamburg Authority together with the administration of the City of Hamburg, said Maciej Brzozowski from the Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V. representative office during the PCHET 2024 conference. He emphasized that the port authority is also planning solutions related to the production and distribution of hydrogen. Plans and investment locations are being developed.

“Every LNG bunkering operation requires a permit from the Hamburg Water Police (WSP), because the Port of Hamburg regulation on dangerous goods and fire protection prohibits the bunkering of fuels with a flash point below 55 degrees Celsius in the port. This also applies to LNG and methanol,” explained Linda Hastedt, environmental strategist, Port Energy Solutions at the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) in the “Port of Hamburg Magazine”. A successful methanol bunkering was also carried out in Hamburg. It was taken on the Greenpeace ship Beluga II at quay CC3 in the Cruise Centre Steinwerder.

The Port Authority of Hamburg is preparing the bunkering areas for alternative fuels. “We also want to quickly reach the point where container ships can bunker alternative fuels during the loading and unloading process,” says Hastedt. The HPA shares these experiences with the WPCAP participants. As part of the WPCAP, Yokohama is working to become a carbon-neutral port (CNP). The work is being carried out in cooperation with the national government and the private sector. The aim is to achieve the overarching goal of zero net emissions by 2050.

Yokohama and bank support port

To raise funds for this purpose, the City of Yokohama and Mizuho Bank Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in April 2024 to jointly develop a comprehensive financial framework based on the Yokohama Port Decarbonization Plan. The funds will be used to support companies operating in Yokohama, including port terminals, in implementing CO2 neutrality projects. The city’s involvement in green projects facilitates financing for the port’s sustainable development.

By using these city administration-port-bank arrangements, companies can obtain funds at low interest rates. According to the port administration, this will facilitate the transition to a carbon neutral port. The main focus is on investing in green infrastructure or low- and zero-emission fuels. This financing arrangement is intended to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises that lack the required resources to make capital investments and work on decarbonizing their own operations.

– This public-private cooperation between industry and financial institutions will help companies fully comply with the goals of the Yokohama Port Decarbonization Plan, helping to protect the marine environment and develop long-term strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – emphasizes Hitoshi Nakamura, Director for Carbon Neutral Port Promotion, Port and Harbor Bureau, City of Yokohama.

Tanger Med Port as part of WPCAP

The key Moroccan port is implementing a project called Port Paperless Passage. The computers will include everything from online declarations to cargo movement control, while ensuring that customer service is maintained or improved. The main goals are to streamline operations, increase efficiency and improve the overall customer experience at the port.

– This project aims to digitalize the process of moving cargo in the port space. The IT service is to eliminate anything that could emit CO2 – explains Meriem Fares, Communication and PR Manager, Tanger Med Port.

In Tangier, the development of Tanger Med port information systems is being implemented by improving and modernizing the digital infrastructure used for port operations. The entities operating in the port will be integrated into an integrated platform that will facilitate communication and coordination between stakeholders. The exchange of information systems will be ensured with partners operating on land and at sea, as well as others in the logistics chain.

This will be done by developing efficient protocols and data exchange systems with participants using the services of the port and the terminals operating there. The main stakeholders include shipping companies, logistics service providers and regulatory and control authorities. Meriem Fares informs that the digitalization will be based on the “Review and adjustment of business procedures for import and export activities”.

Ports on all continents are actively working towards decarbonization and preparing for bunkering with alternative fuels. Many ports, including those in the Baltic Sea, have stations for powering ships with electricity from the quay. Some ports already have procedures and stations for bunkering LNG, methanol. Ammonia bunkering has already been carried out. PCS is already a common solution in most European ports. Today, the competitiveness of ports is based on computerization, automation and the introduction of environmentally friendly solutions.

The Baltic Hub infrastructure is being expanded in Gdańsk. Preparations are underway to build the external port in Gdynia and Świnoujście. Today, ports not only function as elements of the logistics chain for the economy but are also an important element of the country’s economic and military security system. Therefore, infrastructure elements such as the Red Road in Gdynia or safe and efficient rail and pipeline connections to Świnoujście and Gdańsk are already necessary. This is also the case in ports that provide service for ships with alternative drives. These are the basic conditions for building a competitive advantage and security for a country that plans to base its energy security on offshore wind energy and nuclear energy.