Port Esbjerg eyes 70 pct emission cuts by 2030

In a global first for the maritime industry, Denmark’s Port Esbjerg and the US-based conglomerate Honeywell are working together on climate cooperation designed to help reduce carbon emissions at the port by 70% by 2030 in line with the country’s climate target.

As informed, the duo is collaborating on a comprehensive carbon and energy management programme to help achieve the port’s emissions reduction goal.

The initiatives also contribute towards the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ambition to halve greenhouse gases from international shipping by 2050, compared with 2008 levels.

The Port Esbjerg team recently inaugurated its first shore-to-ship power units, which allow docked vessels to run on renewable electricity from offshore wind turbines, instead of using on-board diesel generators.

This power connection is enabled by the cooperation between Honeywell and Port Esbjerg, specifically supported through understanding estimations of the vessels’ carbon footprint. The port can access this data at any time through the Honeywell Enacto Carbon and Energy Management system. The shore-to-ship units can simultaneously power multiple large vessels, helping to reduce CO₂, SOx and NOx emissions, as well as reducing noise pollution.

“Given the size and complexity of our operation, there was no simple, off-the-shelf solution for our green transition. We worked with Honeywell to fully customise a system that can monitor energy consumption and emissions, as well as pinpoint potential improvement opportunities,” Dennis Jul Pedersen, Port Esbjerg CEO, commented.

The Honeywell Enacto Carbon and Energy Management system is a cloud-based, fully scalable solution that enables the port to monitor the emissions and resource consumption of every individual power socket, and – most importantly – every vessel, with 1,200 measurement points.

The system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms in conjunction with data collection from energy-consuming or -producing assets at the port. Its open protocol platform allows for flexible integration with legacy systems.

If consumption changes significantly, the system sends an automated message to the port office, meaning any abnormalities are immediately identified and action may be taken. Vessels’ carbon emissions are closely observed with the aim of reduction through operational investments in sustainable infrastructure, including use of renewable energy, and in the future – clean fuel technology.

Based on data generated by the Honeywell system, Port Esbjerg can optimise its energy and carbon footprint in real time. In the future, it will be able to prioritise financial resources where the most significant CO₂ reductions can be made – generating tangible emissions-lowering results.

“The Port Esbjerg project is setting a new benchmark for ports globally on how to use fully integrated technology to help meet ambitious sustainability goals,” Lionel Caillat, General Manager, Honeywell Building Technologies, said.

“We worked closely with the Port Esbjerg team to understand their objectives and customise a solution that can help to achieve them. It’s exciting to go from initial planning to seeing the port meet their renewable shore-to-ship power supply milestone. We look forward to our continued work with the port to help them cut emissions down further.”

In the next phase of the project, Port Esbjerg and Honeywell will monitor and manage water consumption and heating, as well as the emissions performance of businesses around the port.

The plan also features significant investments in electric vehicle technology and hydrogen-powered cranes. The target is for all port vehicles to be powered by electricity by 2025.