News

15.05.2023

PORTOS: Greening Atlantic Ports

An Initiative to Promote Marine Renewable Energy in Atlantic Area Ports for a Sustainable Future

Seaports are essential hubs for global trade, connecting countries, and continents through a complex network of ships, cargo, and logistics. However, they also have a significant environmental impact due to their high energy demands, which often rely on fossil fuels, and associated air pollution. The good news is that a promising solution to these environmental problems is emerging in the form of marine renewable energy.

The PORTOS project is one such initiative that aims to assess, develop, and promote the integrated use of renewable energy resources in the Atlantic Area ports. The project's objective is to increase the energy efficiency of ports, establish a roadmap to a more competitive and sustainable sector, and minimise environmental problems caused by energy consumption.

The project acknowledges that each port has unique characteristics, such as different industrial activities, infrastructures, and available resources. Therefore, the possible renewable energy or marine renewable energy solutions differ. To provide useful solutions to the general ports system, PORTOS analyses different representative case study ports throughout the Atlantic Area, which is one of the project's objectives.

PORTOS focuses on developing exploration plans, implementing pilot actions, developing roadmaps and guidelines to achieve self-sufficiency in the ports’ systems, and testing devices and hybrid technologies to allow the exploitation of marine renewable energy resources in those ports. The project aims to provide an integrated and multidisciplinary approach that considers the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures in the ports.

The use of marine renewable energy sources, such as wave, tidal, and offshore wind power, can provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-based energy. By leveraging locally available renewable energy resources, the port authorities can ensure the energy self-sufficiency of their ports while simultaneously reducing their carbon footprint. Moreover, integrating renewable energy sources can provide additional economic benefits, such as reducing energy costs and creating new business opportunities.

The project's results will enable the port and transport sectors to improve their environmental policies by providing a detailed knowledge of the current scenario. There is a firm commitment from the port authorities to include the energy self-sufficiency principles in their strategic plans for the next decade and to take advantage of the renewable energy resources locally available.

Organisations operating in the marine renewable energy sector, such as energy suppliers, the industrial sector, and energy agencies, as well as the scientific community, will benefit from the results of PORTOS. By promoting the development and use of renewable energy resources in Atlantic Area ports, PORTOS will provide a roadmap to a more competitive and sustainable sector while minimising environmental problems caused by energy consumption.

Last but not least, all of society will benefit from the improvements made to the sustainable energy ecosystem. The integration of renewable energy sources in seaports can significantly reduce their carbon footprint, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. By promoting the use of renewable energy in seaports, PORTOS is paving the way towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for the global transport industry.

PORTOS is coordinated by Faculdade de Engenharia of Universidade do Porto, Portugal, has a consortium of 18 partners from 13 regions and a total budget of 2.63 M€.

Author: Marta Novara, Interreg Volunteer Youth, based on the Publication "Delivering results for the Atlanrtic regions"

 

Published on: 2023-05-15


Event "Blue Synergies: Maximising Funding Impact in the Atlantic Sea Basin"

15.09.2023

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! 19.10.2023 at Porto Cruise Terminal, Portugal

Interreg Atlantic Area Annual Event

15.09.2023

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! 18.10.2023 at Porto Cruise Terminal, Portugal

27 projects approved under the First Call

29.06.2023

The programme Monitoring Committee approved in Bilbao the first set of projects to be funded by the Atlantic Area

AYCH Clan: Unleashing young creativity in the Atlantic regions

13.06.2023

Join the community of talented young artists and innovators to showcase your work, find job opportunities, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Neptunus makes a splash in Santander's fish markets

01.06.2023

Embracing Sustainability and the WEF Nexus

PORTOS: Greening Atlantic Ports

15.05.2023

An Initiative to Promote Marine Renewable Energy in Atlantic Area Ports for a Sustainable Future

163 M€ requested for projects implementation under the First Call for Projects

28.04.2023

The Secretariat received 62 project proposals under this call

SAFER project holds their final event at the European Maritime Day in Brest

04.05.2023

A debate on the role of Industry 5.0 to support a more responsible seafood sector is on the agenda of this event

The Fanbest project competition

27.04.2023

If you have an idea or project in the field of the Blue Economy, the Fanbest project is launching a competition that might suit you!

CABFISHMAN: managing fisheries better.

20.04.2023

Conserving Atlantic biodiversity by supporting innovative small scale fisheries co-management