Decarbonisation measures in small and medium-sized ports (SMPs) are an area that has received little attention despite the extensive literature on port sustainability. These measures are especially important as the share of emissions from shipping increases, coupled with the sense of urgency to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which is especially evident in the growing pressure to improve the environmental footprints of logistics operations and transport. Heavy-lift shipping, such as in ports, is considered a hard-to-abate sector, where environmental improvement occurs mainly through better management and energy efficiency. For decarbonisation efforts to be more effective, it is necessary to understand the patterns related to the implementation of decarbonisation measures, as well as the factors associated with their implementation in general and the implementation of alternative fuels and onshore power supply (OPS).
Dr Markus Steen, Senior Researcher at SINTEF, together with Dr Kristin Ystmark Bjerkan, Senior Researcher at SINTEF and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dr Lillian Hansen and Dr Hanne Seter from SINTEF, have set out to identify decarbonisation measures implemented by small and medium-sized enterprises and explore the factors influencing their implementation, describing the factors as drivers and barriers. Their work is published in a peer-reviewed journal, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives.
Decarbonisation measures were divided into different categories: port management and policies, energy and fuels, maritime activities and land-based activities. The researchers note that “all measures can contribute to decarbonisation, but especially shore-based energy supply and alternative fuel supply are considered crucial options in this regard.” What they found is that OPS was the most prominent decarbonisation measure, along with energy efficiency in port infrastructure and increasing port awareness. Low-voltage OPS is the most commonly implemented, while high-voltage OPS was less frequently implemented, presumably due to higher economic costs and strains on the energy grid. The study found that “OPS implementation is relatively evenly distributed regardless of port size, while alternative fuel implementation appears to be more prominent in large ports compared to medium and small ones.”
Many ports also implemented measures to reduce emissions from land-based activities, while alternative fuels were not implemented as frequently, possibly due to the lack of drivers or the presence of barriers associated with them. The authors find that the drive from potential users, as well as the political direction, is not as strong with respect to alternative fuels as with OPS. They also found that the implementation of alternative fuels has a higher implementation complexity and requires more collaboration with private and public stakeholders. Overall, the study found that ports take various measures to achieve decarbonization, apparently according to different contexts, defined by drivers and implementation barriers.
The drivers for the implementation of decarbonisation measures were seen to be determined mainly by pressure (emission reductions) and support from different actors and environments, such as the public, various organisations and the media, while the barriers were perceived as financial resources, personnel resources, time, technical maturity and competence. The results of the questionnaire also showed that the different drivers and barriers are measure-specific, indicating that a one-size-fits-all approach is probably not the most effective way to drive the implementation of decarbonisation measures in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Overall, the study highlights the most important and effective ways to boost the implementation of decarbonisation measures in small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as avenues for future research on decarbonisation and sustainability of ports. Furthermore, a call is made to deepen knowledge on local influences, the role of ports in sustainability efforts and alignment with stakeholders to achieve low-carbon energy chains.
Journal reference
Markus Steen, Kristin Ystmark Bjerkan, Lillian Hansen, Hanne Seter, Implementation of decarbonisation measures in Norwegian ports, Interdisciplinary Research Perspectives in Transport, Volume 23, 2024, 100993, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2023.100993
About the authors
Markus Steen (PhD Geography) is a principal investigator in the Innovation and Sustainability research group at the Department of Technology Management at SINTEF Digital. In his work, Steen focuses on innovation processes, transitions towards sustainability and industrial development. He is particularly interested in the relationship between technological innovation and the transformation of established industries.
Kristin Ystmark Bjerkan (PhD in Science and Technology) and research director at the Department of Mobility. Her research focuses on sustainability transitions in mobility systems, with a focus on transition work emerging across different sectors and levels of governance. Bjerkan also manages an advanced research group in action research methodology that develops holistic and interdisciplinary knowledge on sustainability transitions in mobility.
Lilian Hansen (PhD in Political Science), Researcher at the SINTEF Community in the Department of Mobility: Social scientist and scholar of transitions, focusing on both technological and non-technological dimensions to understand and promote sustainable transitions in society. Employee in the Mobility department, Green Transition group.
Hanne Seter (PhD Political Scientist) Hanne works as a senior researcher in the Mobility department at SINTEF. Hanne works on the application of technology in the transport system, including user surveys, technology evaluation, and the role of authorities in testing and implementation. She focuses on testing and piloting the technology, as well as learning how to interact to make the technology as useful as possible for society as a whole. Hanne is also the leader of the evaluation work package in the EU MODI project.
