Bremenports Aims to Achieve Climate Neutrality by the End of 2023

bremenports has ambitious environmental goals and aims to achieve climate neutrality for the entire port infrastructure by the end of 2023. As early as 2009, bremenports was the first company in the German port industry to develop a sustainability strategy with greenports.

(Bremen) What will be mandatory for everyone by 2050 under the European Green Deal, bremenports aims to achieve in just over two years: By the end of 2023, the entire port infrastructure should be completely CO2 neutral.

Environmental and climate protection have been at the top of the agenda in the Bremen ports for over a decade. In 2009, the port management company developed a sustainability strategy with “greenports” as the first company in the German port industry. “This was a heartfelt concern of the management,” reports Uwe von Bargen, Director of Environmental and Sustainability Affairs at bremenports. One of the fundamental changes in this context was initially to establish the necessary structures to enable energy savings. “For many years, investments and expenditures were solely financially driven,” says von Bargen. “The idea that environmental protection considerations should also play a role had to be anchored in the company at that time.”

Once the ball was set rolling, further milestones quickly followed: Since 2010, environmental management has been established, and two years later, sustainability management was implemented. Since 2015, there has also been energy management, and in the same year, bremenports was certified for the relevant environmental standard DIN ISO 50001 for the first time. “Among other things, we developed an action plan for sustainable and resource-efficient energy use, increased the share of renewable electricity to over 90 percent, and equipped the lighting masts of the port railway with the latest LED technology,” summarizes von Bargen the achievements. Measures under greenports are already bearing fruit in other areas as well: Dredged material from the ports has been significantly reduced, and with Luneplate, a significant nature conservation area has been created that is recognized worldwide and has received multiple awards.

Emissions have decreased by 70 percent

In the past eight years, the climate balance of the Bremen ports has also improved significantly: Compared to 2011, with more than 7,000 tons of CO2, emissions were reduced by over 70 percent last year. Alone, 100 tons of this have been saved every year since 2013 through the compensation of air travel and business trips. “We go well beyond the usual,” emphasizes von Bargen. Overall, the CO2 emissions of the port management company have already been neutralized since 2013.

Efforts are also being made to achieve the next goal: By the end of 2023, the port infrastructure should also be completely CO2 neutral. This includes emissions from large energy consumers such as the port railway, locks, and workshops, as well as the fleet and vehicle fleet of bremenports. “In particular, the switch to green electricity and the ongoing electrification have already significantly improved the CO2 footprint here,” explains von Bargen.

However, this is demanding in detail: For example, how do you retrofit a 50-year-old folding barge? “No engine manufacturer can tell you that,” emphasizes von Bargen. “That’s why we have tried gas-to-liquids, or GTL fuel, and have already had positive experiences with it.” In addition to the already deployed electric vehicles, bremenports would also like to have hydrogen-powered ones. “This was already decided internally three years ago; unfortunately, such cars are still hardly available today,” laments von Bargen, hoping for the third quarter of 2020. Overall, the Director of Environmental and Sustainability sees the Bremen ports already on the home stretch for 2023.

Research Project “SHARC” in the Overseas Port

When climate neutrality of its own infrastructure is achieved in two years, von Bargen’s colleague Tobias Metzner should have already prepared significant steps for the next goal: “The port location itself should then become CO2 neutral,” says the project manager. Since this encompasses the entire port economy with many large and small companies, the first step will be to develop concepts for sustainable energy management in the overseas port. Since the beginning of the year, Siemens, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), and the Technical University of Berlin, as well as the Institute for Energy and Circular Economy at Bremen University, have been working on a “Smart Port Application Concept for the Integration of Renewable Energies” as part of the research project “SHARC” under the coordination of bremenports.

“Together with the associated project partners BLG and Eurogate, we are first determining the data on energy consumption, i.e., electricity, heat, and cold, as well as fuels,” reports Metzner. This specifically concerns the overseas port, particularly the electricity consumption of container bridges, portal cranes, and lighting, as well as gas consumption from heating systems, combined heat and power plants, and a wood chip plant. Additionally, there are van carriers, reach stackers, and other logistics equipment, as well as operational vehicles and buses.

Energy-Optimized Operational Processes

Based on the data, various future scenarios will be modeled, and the effects such as the development of energy consumption, costs, CO2 reductions, and environmental impacts will be simulated. It will be necessary to examine where additional renewable energy can be generated or accessed for the port and how it can be better and more strongly integrated into the port infrastructure and superstructure. For this purpose, energy-optimized operational processes and active management of flexible energy consumers and producers will be considered. “The challenge is to anticipate how energy prices and CO2 pricing will develop and affect the respective technology,” says Metzner. “Accordingly, we have discussed a lot and evaluated a large number of different sources. Ultimately, we must avoid making investments that will not pay off later.”

In the next step, a preferred scenario including an investment plan and a business model will be developed. It is already clear that this will involve significant costs: “The investment sum is in the range of two to three-digit million amounts,” emphasizes Metzner. “As a result, we will then know what the energy transition in the port could cost.”
Given the clear positioning of Bremen’s politics for climate protection, bremenports CEO Robert Howe is optimistic that after the analysis, they can quickly move into implementation. Howe: “Our ambitious goal is to implement the derived technical and organizational measures starting in 2021. The pioneering role we have taken with greenports for a decade is also a commitment for the future for us.”

Photo: © bremenports

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