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