What is a Green Port?

Green Port Definition

The term “Green Port” is often misrepresented as a port that handles green products such as an offshore wind support base. More accurately, how green a port is can be defined by their specific operations and the impact of those actions on the environment. A Green Port is one that minimises the impact of the environment from their operations.

The term “Green Port” encompasses ports on many different levels of development and so it can be seen more as a spectrum that all ports are on, rather than a specific definition.

Utilisation of Green Port Initiatives

The utilisation of Green Port initiatives, processes and technology can give great benefit to a port, beyond the sometimes legislative and obvious moral obligational benefits to the planet. Often Green Port initiatives increase efficiency, reduce waste or reduce costs by other means. As such, Green Port initiatives can aid in the reduction of operational expenditure, which in turn can be reinvested into improvements in the business.

The cost and associated benefit of Green Port initiatives and technology can vary significantly and can seem overwhelming, however along with high cost, high benefit initiatives, the journey can begin with simple lower cost alternatives that also bring benefit, such as the replacement of traditional lighting with LED solutions.

Right Use of Investment Capital

Without expert assistance, the development of a port towards becoming greener is at risk of being overly-influenced by the technological curiosities of the port’s staff or the capability of technology provider’s sales teams. This in turn can lead to a technology based progression where investment is based upon the want of a particular system or product, rather than addressing a specific identified need. The result is inefficient use of investment capital and a disorganised approach to development. Furthermore an investment strategy of this type risks acquisitions quickly becoming superseded, or acting as blockers to the acquisition of future initiatives.

We Can Help

We believe the development of a port along the Green Port spectrum should be considered, managed and planned. This way the port can gain the greatest benefit from investment in Green Port technology and initiatives, which in turn can act as enablers for future investment rather than blockers.

Contact NIRAS today and we can be your partner to progress along the Green Port spectrum, regardless of where you currently are!

Our Approach

We start by assessing your existing processes and use of technology to conclude your ports current Green Port status. From there we will seek to understand opportunities within the port to work more sustainably and available budgets for future investment. Suitable solutions can then be identified on the basis of budget, priority and benefit.

Although this can be undertaken as a singular Green Port Strategy, we firmly believe it should be holistic to the overall development of the port and integrated into the port’s overarching masterplan, creating a Green Port Masterplan. Green and Smart Ports are heavily linked. The movement towards becoming a Green Port inevitably also moves the port towards becoming a Smart Port. The move towards greener technologies and processes also means the adoption of technology and smarter processes. The acquisition of smart technology can therefore also be integrated into this process, creating a holistic Smart and Green Port Masterplan.

Learn more about what a Smart Port is.