Digital Innovation

DIGITAL INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS

Innovation in the arena of digitalisation was a prominent area of discussion at the Coastlink conference held recently in Antwerp. Felicity Landon reports

A ‘ZEEPORT’ was introduced at Coastlink: a Zero Emission Electric Port, as envisaged by NAVTEC.

The ZEEPORT project is a fully integrated approach that takes in the principles of circularity, climate change, water resources management, marine ecology, waste management, air quality and stakeholder participation, as well as decarbonisation of a port, explained Ferhat Acuner, General Manager, NAVTEC.

A preliminary feasibility study has been carried out by the company. The ZEEPORT project aims to be a ‘maritime decarbonisation best practice’ decoupling economic growth and GHG emissions and other pollutants in ports, said Acuner. “The next step of this innovative project is to further develop into a zero emission, renewable energy surplus producer port.

“The port will produce its renewable energy combined with different renewable technologies, such as wind, biomass, solar energy, battery storage, hydrogen storage, fully electrical ZEE-TUGs and so on.”

However, the main focus in Acuner’s ‘Towards Decarbonisation’ presentation was the ‘LEEPORT’, a Low Emission Electric Port, which represents an incremental step towards the ZEEPORT.

CASE STUDY

Navtec carried out a case study into the energy distribution of a reference port, across equipment and vehicles (tugs, terminal transport and stacking equipment, port vehicles), operations (cargo handling, port access, outdoor lighting) and buildings (terminal office and passenger buildings, warehouses).

It then compared annual energy consumption with potential renewable energy sources and adjusted the output based on reasonable availability periods, including solar, wind and biomass, while also allowing for storage.

The port’s calculated annual energy requirement was 16.7m kWh. It was calculated that solar could provide 1.8m kWh, wind could provide 10.5m kWh and biomass 8m kWh – adding up to 20.3 kWh; so the ‘energy over production’ result was 3.6m kWh.

Preliminary findings were that a €6.5m investment could deliver a 63 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, plus reduction in other pollutants, cut operational costs by €1.2m a year and generate additional income of €328,590 a year.

NAVTEC is a specialist naval engineering and architecture, design and build company . Its portfolio ranges from the world’s first self-propelled floating power plant to the ZEETUG, the world’s first rechargeable fully electric harbour tug.

NAVIPORTA: THE SMART OPTION

Also during Coastlink’s Digitalisation, Innovation and Collaboration session, Raoul Tan, Director of Naviporta at the Port of Rotterdam, discussed ways of making port and international trade flows smarter and more efficient and asked the question: “How are port authorities going to play a meaningful role in the dawn of the digital supply chain if we are not working together?”

The Naviporta platform is an open, neutral and interoperable digital platform underpinned by blockchain. It was designed to facilitate secure exchange of data and enable digital services to optimise document and financial processes in supply chains – for example, trade finance, regulatory compliance, proof of provenance and document management.

The first service to be launched, Quay Connect, provides fully digital and automated Customs clearance – saving exporters to the UK up to €40 per clearance. Tan explained the need, post-Brexit, for a streamlined process, and how Quay Connect is “propelling frictionless trade between the UK and the Netherlands”.

The Quay Connect pilot project was carried out with ABC Logistics, BT, the Fresh Produce Centre and Portbase, the Dutch Port Community System.

As Tan explained, the post-Brexit situation has been causing delays and creating additional manual work as well as uncertainties in trade to and from the UK. The new platform delivers direct integration with UK Customs, including proof of authenticity, creating shorter lead times and improved certainty on delivery.

8 The Naviporta

platform’s Quay Connect service , provides fully digital and automated Customs clearance – reportedly saving exporters to the UK up to €40 per clearance

Think big, start small, act now ‘‘

Quay Connect has created a ‘fast lane’ for export to the UK while saving time and money, he said – by connecting individual business systems with the required governmental and regulatory bodies into one automated, accurate workflow, in a solution that puts the exporter in control.

Tan said Quay Connect’s proven benefits include increased ease of doing business between the UK and the Netherlands, a net efficiency gain with 30-60 per cent cost saving, a fully digitalised process, the elimination of manual and cumbersome processes and visibility on the whereabouts of the exported cargo.

There were key takeaways from the project, he said: “Start with a clear problem statement. Involve the right parties and partners from the start. Think big, start small, act now.”