Knowledge

Keyword: port operations

paper

Evaluation of cold ironing and speed reduction policies to reduce ship emissions near and at ports

Zis, Thalis; North, Robin Jacob; Angeloudis, Panagiotis; Ochieng, Washington Yotto; Bell, Michael Geoffrey Harrison

Different port operating policies have the potential to reduce emissions from shipping; however, their efficacy varies for different ports. This article extends existing literature to present a consistent and transferable methodology that examines emissions reduction port policies based on ship-call data. Carbon dioxide (CO2); sulphur dioxide (SO2); nitrogen oxides (NOx); and black carbon (BC) emissions from near-port containership activities are estimated. Two emissions reduction policies are considered for typical container terminals. Participation of all calling vessels with a speed reduction scheme can lead to reductions of 8–20 per cent, 9–40 per cent and 9–17 per cent for CO2, SO2 and NOx, respectively. However, speed reduction policies may increase BC emissions by up to 10 per cent. Provision of Alternative Marine Power (AMP) for all berthing vessels can reduce in-port emissions by 48–70 per cent, 3–60 per cent, 40–60 per cent and 57–70 per cent for CO2, SO2, NOx and BC, respectively. The analysis shows that emissions depend on visiting fleet, berthing durations, baseline operating pattern of calling ships, sulphur reduction policies in force and the emissions intensity of electricity supply. The potential of emissions reduction policies varies considerably across ports making imperative the evaluation and prioritization of such policies based on the unique characteristics of each port and each vessel.

Maritime Economics & Logistics, volume 16 / 2014
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paper

Flexible ship loading problem with transfer vehicle assignment and scheduling

Iris, Çağatay; Christensen, Jonas; Pacino, Dario; Røpke, Stefan

This paper presents the flexible containership loading problem for seaport container terminals. The integrated management of loading operations, planning of the transport vehicles to use and their scheduling is what we define as the Flexible Ship Loading Problem (FSLP). The flexibility comes from a cooperative agreement between the terminal operator and the liner shipping company, specifying that the terminal has the right to decide which specific container to load for each slot obeying the class-based stowage plan received from the liner. We formulate a mathematical model for the problem. Then we present various modelling enhancements and a mathematical model to obtain strong lower bounds. We also propose a heuristic algorithm to solve the problem. It is shown that enhancements improve the performance of formulation significantly, and the heuristic efficiently generates high-quality solutions. Results also point out that substantial cost savings can be achieved by integrating the ship loading operations.

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Volume 111 / 2018
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paper

Framework for Sustainability Assessment of Maritime Terminals

Ana Borda Zabala*, Julia Pahl, Niels Rytter

The maritime sector contributes significantly to climate change, given thenumber of global emissions that this represents. Emissions inventorying isone of the measurement system approaches considered in terminals to mitigate harmful emissions. The concept of sustainability has gained attentionwhere economic, social, and environmental dimensions need to be balanced.Assessing all three sustainability dimensions is important. Both the environment and the society, e.g., human health and safety, are impacted by terminal operations. Reducing their negative impact can compromise the economicgrowth of the terminal. This is challenging the maritime sector, and althoughsome authors define methods to evaluate sustainability in terminals, nostandard guideline is available in the literature. The lack of a common reference guideline makes comparison of sustainability actions in terminals difficult.This paper presents a sustainability assessment framework based on theanalysis of the state of the art in literature contributing to sustainable development of terminals and supporting decision-makers.

IAME Conference 2022 (International Association of Maritime Economics) - Korea, Busan, Sydkorea / 2022
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paper

Governance of inland port classification: insights from the Limfjord in Denmark

Nelson F. Coelho & Jesper Raakjær

This paper discusses the governance of port classification through the lens of multi-level governance theory, with a particular focus on the Port of Aalborg and the issue of classification of Limfjord waters, in Denmark. The study identifies a conflict in which national governmental decisions regarding the classification of navigable waterways obstruct the port's access to funding opportunities. Despite the port's autonomous operational capacity, national control over waterway classification and port typology shows a nested governance dynamic, thereby highlighting the intricacies of the European Union's subsidiarity principle. This paper argues that the case illustrates how the classification of inland waterways, although ostensibly legal, is intrinsically political and subject to national interests. The Danish government's refusal to designate the Limfjord as a navigable waterway potentially hinders regional development and impedes the EU's policy objectives for intermodality. Methodologically, the research synthesizes desk-based analysis with key-informant interviews to examine the legal, political, and geographical dimensions of this issue. The findings contribute to multi-level governance theory by describing the case as a hybrid model that integrates both nested and polycentric elements, thereby enriching the debate on governance complexities within the European context.

WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs / 2025
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book

Green Ports

Zis, Thalis

Sustainable shipping involves not only ships but ports as their extension. This chapter examines the issues associated with a green port operation. These include technologies such as cold ironing; market-based practices such as differentiated fairway dues, speed reduction, and noise and dust abatement; and others. The legislative framework in various countries is explained, and various environmental scorecards are discussed. This chapter starts with a brief review on recent academic research in the field of environmental management of ports and presents the status quo in leading ports around the world. The chapter emphasizes on the implementation of speed reduction programmes near the port, the use of cold ironing at berth, and the effects of fuel quality regulation, considering the perspectives of the port authority and the ship operator. The emerging environmental and economic trade-offs are discussed. The aim of this chapter is to be a starting point for researchers seeking to work on green ports. Insights of this chapter may also be useful for stakeholders seeking to select the best emissions reduction option depending on their unique characteristics.

Book chapter in H. N. Psaraftis (Ed.), Sustainable Shipping: A Cross-Disciplinary View / 2019
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paper

How industrial symbiosis emerges through partnerships: actors, platforms, and stakeholder processes leading to collaborative business models in port industrial areas

Lucia Mortensen, Louise Brøns Kringelum & Allan Næs Gjerding

The present paper explores how industrial symbiosis emergence unfolds within port industrial areas through a multiple case study that focuses on actors, platforms for collaboration, and content of stakeholder processes. Drivers for industrial symbiosis emergence are identified, and future lines of research are proposed.

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development / 2023
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paper

Humor, transparency, and the management of distrust among business rivals: a case study of berthing meetings at the Port of Tema in Ghana

Martin Arvad Nicolaise, Annette Skovsted Hansen

This article builds on rich empirical data following our unexpected discovery of a local practice to circumvent a stressful
and counterproductive work environment due to distrust at the Port of Tema in Ghana. Using theoretical work on networks,
trust, and humor, as well as extensive ethnographic feldwork, we found that the humorous atmosphere at the regularly
held physical berthing meetings fosters a sense of community, which enables competing professions, private companies,
and public institutions to manage their mutual distrust. In an environment where trust among competitors is unrealistic, we
argue that the objective of the performance of humor and transparency at the physical berthing meetings is the management
of distrust rather than the creation of trust. The meetings have, gradually, grown to serve as a pragmatic local stakeholder
adaptation to the challenges posed by universally perceived politicized, opaque, and corrupt business practices at the Port
of Tema and beyond. In conclusion, we posit that our empirical fndings allow us to identify the potential of and gaps in
theories about trust and humor in understanding the dynamics of coping strategies among competitors in business settings
that are characterized by unethical practices.

Maritime Studies / 2023
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paper

Humor, transparency, and the management of distrust among business rivals: a case study of berthing meetings at the Port of Tema in Ghana

Martin Arvad Nicolaisen Annette Skovsted Hansen

This article builds on rich empirical data following our unexpected discovery of a local practice to circumvent a stressful
and counterproductive work environment due to distrust at the Port of Tema in Ghana. Using theoretical work on networks,
trust, and humor, as well as extensive ethnographic feldwork, we found that the humorous atmosphere at the regularly
held physical berthing meetings fosters a sense of community, which enables competing professions, private companies,
and public institutions to manage their mutual distrust. In an environment where trust among competitors is unrealistic, we
argue that the objective of the performance of humor and transparency at the physical berthing meetings is the management
of distrust rather than the creation of trust. The meetings have, gradually, grown to serve as a pragmatic local stakeholder
adaptation to the challenges posed by universally perceived politicized, opaque, and corrupt business practices at the Port
of Tema and beyond. In conclusion, we posit that our empirical fndings allow us to identify the potential of and gaps in
theories about trust and humor in understanding the dynamics of coping strategies among competitors in business settings
that are characterized by unethical practices.

Maritime Studies / 2023
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paper

Identifying Key Issues in Integration of Autonomous Ships in Container Ports: A Machine-Learning-Based Systematic Literature Review

Enna Hirata, Annette Skovsted Hansen

Background: Autonomous ships have the potential to increase operational efficiency and reduce carbon footprints through technology and innovation. However, there is no comprehensive literature review of all the different types of papers related to autonomous ships, especially with regard to their integration with ports. This paper takes a systematic review approach to extract and summarize the main topics related to autonomous ships in the fields of container shipping and port management. Methods: A machine learning method is used to extract the main topics from more than 2000 journal publications indexed in WoS and Scopus. Results: The research findings highlight key issues related to technology, cybersecurity, data governance, regulations, and legal frameworks, providing a different perspective compared to human manual reviews of papers. Conclusions: Our search results confirm several recommendations. First, from a technological perspective, it is advised to increase support for the research and development of autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, establish safety standards, mandate testing of wave model evaluation systems, and promote international standardization. Second, from a cyber–physical systems perspective, efforts should be made to strengthen logistics and supply chains for autonomous ships, establish data governance protocols, enforce strict control over IoT device data, and strengthen cybersecurity measures. Third, from an environmental perspective, measures should be implemented to address the environmental impact of autonomous ships. This can be achieved by promoting international agreements from a global societal standpoint and clarifying the legal framework regarding liability in the event of accidents.

MDPI / 2024
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