The Employment, Enterprise and Commerce Minister of the Andalusia Government Javier Carnero, the President of the Malaga Port Authority Paulino Plata, and the General Manager of the GAS NATURAL FENOSA Foundation Martí Solà, opened the seminar “Smart Ports: Energy management in Andalusia’s ports” and the exhibition “Smart ports: Energy, efficiency and sustainability” in Malaga.
The seminar brought together more than a hundred professionals and experts who analyzed the sustainable energy solutions that smart ports should incorporate to help improve air quality. These measures included those aimed at the energy self-sufficiency of ports through the use of natural gas and renewable energies.
Carnero pointed out that the Andalusia Government is already working to promote the energy transformation of Andalusia’s ports to improve their competitiveness and the environmental sustainability of maritime transport. He explained that, through the Andalusian Energy Agency, they “try to apply our support instruments to ports and we are proposing the need to support port investments to the European Commission.” These investments would be centered on the deployment of smart networks, on power generation using renewable resources, including electricity storage, and on alternative systems for supplying energy to ships, as well as efficient energy management.
Meanwhile, Plata stated: “The transformation of the Port of Malaga into a smart port is one of the greatest future challenges we face, and is essential to make our work more sustainable and effective. Considering how close the port area is to the city centre, it is fundamental that we continue making progress on integrating the port and city activities.”
Solà also highlighted the company’s environmental commitment to promoting smart ports. “The efficient development of ports will be the main path towards achieving sustainable development to ensure a better future. At the Foundation we work to raise awareness among society and administrations on the importance of understanding energy environments to take advantage of development opportunities for cities,” he said.
In this scenario, LNG is one of the most efficient alternatives to replace the fuels that will be prohibited in less than two years. This was explained by GAS NATURAL FENOSA’s LNG Bunkering Development Manager for Spain and Portugal José María Ruiz Antón during his speech: “LNG does not have sulfur emissions and it reduces 90% of NOx emissions and 99% of particle emissions, making it one of the cleanest fuels available today.”
Ruiz Antón stressed that the company is one of the top LNG market operators in the Atlantic basin and the leader on the Iberian Peninsula, where it is developing logistics solutions to make this fuel available to all ports. Thus, 125 ships running on LNG are currently in operation and 150 more have been ordered. In terms of the sustainable transport of goods, large container ships that run on LNG have been ordered to comply with the new regulation.
Experiences
Meanwhile, the General Director of Sales for Wärstsilä Ibérica Josu Goiogana explained that the maritime industry is undergoing a transformation. “We believe that smart technology holds many opportunities in store, but from a holistic and systematic approach that depends not on technology alone, but also on an effective collaboration between all players and a comprehensive global regulatory framework. It’s about leveraging innovation across the entire value chain,” he explained.
In his speech, Director of Energy and Port Security of the Valenciaport Foundation José Andrés Giménez presented the case of the Port of Valencia as a pioneer in carrying out projects aimed at facilitating the transition towards a connected and eco-efficient port model, combining the benefits from advanced energy management through ICT technologies. “Ports that can quickly evolve towards the Smart Port concept will be better prepared to adapt to the changes of the upcoming years, both in terms of technology and of business,” he stated.
In his speech, the Manager of the Operations Area of the Port Authority of Cartagena José María Gómez analyzed the potential of LNG as an alternative maritime fuel, and presented the case of the Port of Cartagena, which carried out the largest LNG bunkering operation in Spain this past March.
Málagaport S.L Port of Malaga Manager Manuel Gutiérrez presented the preliminary results of the European LOCATIONS project, (Low-Carbon Transport in Cruise Destination Cities), which belongs to the INTERREG MED cooperation program and is funded by FEDER Funds, aimed at offering transportation alternatives with low carbon emissions to cruise ship passengers in the city. The three-year project is being carried out in collaboration with other European ports and cities, with Malaga as the only participant in Spain.
Energytruck
The activities program presented by the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation and the Malaga Port Authority included an appearance from Energytruck, the mobile exhibition that has travelled more than 45,511.40 kilometers and visited more than 264 municipalities in Spain since January of 2016. It informs the general public about energy, the environment and industrial heritage in a fun and interactive way through educational activities run by specialist educators.
The truck is equipped with a natural gas twin engine that produces between 15% and 20% less CO2 emissions compared to conventional diesel engines. Through a dual system and a fuel consumption of approximately 70% diesel and 30% compressed natural gas, the vehicle contributes to improved air quality by reducing PM emissions by 39% and NOx emissions by 30%, compared to a diesel-only vehicle.
Source: Gas Natural Fenosa
