Port Call for Net Zero: Building Net Zero AI Ports
European seaports must achieve net zero emission by 2050 and 55% emission reduction (‘fit for 55’) by 2030. As agreed in the European Green Deal and in compliance with the FuelEU Maritime and EU Emissions Trading System regulations, this presents unprecedented challenges. More efficient port calls can make maritime transport faster and greener, but how?
The Port Call process
Ports are complex ecosystems of mutually interacting organizations. Crucial in ports is the port call process; the accurate handling and timing of a scheduled stop by any vessel. A single logistic operation of one ship within the port call process may involve as many as 30 parties and 200 interactions.
Up to 80% of the emissions in ports are attributed to the port call process. Efforts to reduce emissions by a single party within this process will likely be insufficient, or may even be counterproductive, for the port call process as a whole. In addition, the anticipated sharp surge in demand for electricity and renewable fuels introduces new uncertainties.
“Ships burn enormous amounts of fuel to reach their destination as quickly as possible, only to then wait for permission to enter the port; we call this phenomenon ‘rush and wait’. This practice contributes to global emissions equivalent to the annual CO2 output of the entire Netherlands. “
All this poses an urgent need for new methods to support innovation in the port call. Current methods lack integrated planning capabilities, are often limited by data sharing, and do not sufficiently account for uncertainties introduced by shore power and new fuels. Coordinated decision-making and actions to develop collective net-zero strategies is the best approach for innovatig the port call.
“We need better collaboration between all parties. Think of pilots, tugboat crews, traffic controllers, port authorities, terminal operators, and many others. At present, data sharing between these stakeholders is not always optimal.”
PortCall.Zero
The PortCall.Zero project aims to develop novel artificial intelligence methods and tools that capture the complexity of the port call process. It includes the economic viability of operations and governance aspects within the port call process to handle uncertainties caused by the energy transitions: this makes the project unique in its approach. To achieve this ambition, the project has been awarded 4 million euros through the NWO Perspectief programme. Led by TU Delft, and with contributions from 16 partners, the project aims to significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of port activities by making use of AI and electric shore power.
Eliminating inefficiency in the ‘rush and wait’ phenomenon by adopting a ‘just-in-time’ strategy, implementing a federated AI approach so models can be trained locally to circumvent data privacy concerns, and greening energy use in ports by transitioning ships to electric shore power or promoting alternative fuels like ammonia and methanol: these are just several innovations to be developed within the project to achieve a net zero port. A target of reducing CO2 emissions by 150 million tonnes by 2030 and achieving a fully net-zero maritime sector by 2050, PortCall.Zero contributes to international climate goals.
The PortCall.Zero approach will be demonstrated in the ports of Rotterdam, putting the Netherlands in the leading position globally with the most sustainable and efficient port call processes. The results of the project will be used by co-funding partners to develop new products and services for ports globally.
“By reducing port-related emissions, we could save billions of euros annually. And the project solutions for electric shore power and alternative fuel operations will, over time, help to close the cost gap to conventional and more polluting technologies. We want to demonstrate that decarbonising port operations is not only essential, but also practically achievable.”
