This paper introduces an interactive method which aims to map out perspectives on the state of ecosystem-based approaches (EbA) in marine spatial planning (MSP). MSP meets a need for organizing the allocation of space to maritime uses. MSP should also control and limit the pressures induced by these activities on marine ecosystems. To evaluate how EbA is actually applied, this research proposes a participatory method to assess the effectiveness of current EbA practices within the MSP process using perceptual maps. The mapping focuses on two dimensions: relevance and implementation of a set of 13 key elements of EbA. The method was tested on a sample of marine planners from ongoing MSP processes in northern European sea basins. The study shows that perceptual maps provide four main benefits: participatory, visualization capacity, qualitative and quantitative applicability, and easy to use. This tool undoubtedly has the potential to illustrate the state of integration of EbA in MSP and highlight the priority issues to develop in future plans, and consequently to provide keys to revise marine plans in a way that better takes into account EbA principles.
The port industry is in a state of flux which is affecting the roles of port authorities. Applying a business model perspective to explore this qualitative shift in competition, this paper argues that port authorities are increasingly managing multiple multilateral business models. This is analyzed through an integrative review of port research which identifies four challenges for port authorities: 1) diversification of port customers; 2) requirements for new value creation; 3) changing possibilities and constraints of value capture; and 4) network effects, clusters and strategic partnerships. The review contributes to literature by exploring how managing port authority business model innovation requires changing the underlying business logic, the activities and resources and the configurational fit with other port actors' business models. This proposition is based on the interplay between the macro level port industry, the meso level rule structures within port systems and the micro level of port authority organisations.
This chapter presents the latest development in digital platforms for data sharing in Maritime Informatics as discussed in chapter 1—Responding to humanitarian and global concerns with digitally enabled supply chain visibility. Specifically, we use the TradeLens digital data sharing platform as a case study to illustrate the key actors in containerised global transport and the technical set-up (including the utilisation of a hybrid cloud, permissioned blockchain, and data exchange standards), the benefits and challenges for the individual types of actors, and the overall potential and future challenges of the TradeLens platform.
The potential of data sharing platforms is dependent on the wide adoption of the ecosystem. Today, there is a high interest for the TradeLens ecosystem, and many actors have already adopted the platform, due to the vast variety of benefits it provides to all actors in global trade. Regardless, some actors seem to face internal obstacles to adopting the platform, which are either low or high technical advancement. For these actors, a paradigm shift is necessary to move from a reactive to a proactive scheme enabled by a near real-time supply and logistics data network. Finally, we discuss the challenges of network collaboration.
The design of emission control areas (ECAs), including ECA width and sulfur limits, plays a central role in reducing sulfur emissions from shipping. To promote sustainable shipping, we investigate an ECA design problem that considers the response of liner shipping companies to ECA designs. We propose a mathematical programming model from the regulator’s perspective to optimize the ECA width and sulfur limit, with the aim of minimizing the total sulfur emissions. Embedded within this regulator’s model, we develop an internal model from the shipping liner’s perspective to determine the detoured voyage, sailing speed, and cargo transport volume with the aim of maximizing the liner’s profit. Then, we develop a tailored hybrid algorithm to solve the proposed models based on the variable neighborhood search meta-heuristic and a proposition. We validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology through extensive numerical experiments and conduct sensitivity analyses to investigate the effect of important ECA design parameters on the final performance. The proposed methodology is then extended to incorporate heterogeneous settings for sulfur limits, which can help regulators to improve ECA design in the future.
Shore power is an important green technology used by ports to reduce carbon emissions. This paper investigates how to design subsidy strategy for promoting the installation and utilization of shore power. However, while installation subsidies may promote the installation of SPI in ports, resulting in a reduction in ship emissions, utilization subsidies may attract more ship visits, which may increase the total emissions of a port. Therefore, subsidies for shore power utilization and installation should be optimized to minimize the cost to government (comprising the environmental costs of ship emissions, the cost of utilization or installation subsidies, and carbon taxes) and maximize the profit for ports (including profit from original and new ships, utilization and installation subsidies, and carbon taxes). Using the Stackelberg game methodology, we discuss five cases to give a comprehensive analysis of the design of different subsidy policies, including no subsidy, SPI-utilization subsidy undertaken by port, SPI-utilization subsidy undertaken by port and government, carbon emission tax policy considering SPI-utilization subsidy, and SPI-utilization and SPI-installation subsidies undertaken by port and government. Managerial insights are generated according to the theoretical analysis and numerical experiments results, which can give references to the government and port operators.
Floating breakwaters (FBs) are frequently used to protect marinas, fisheries, or other bodies of water subject to wave attacks of moderate intensity. New forms of FBs are frequently introduced and investigated in the literature as a consequence of technological advancements. In particular, a new possibility is offered by High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) by extruding pipes of large diameters (e.g., 2.5 m in diameter) and with virtually no limit in length (hundreds of meters). By connecting two or three such pipes in a vertical layout, a novel low-cost floating breakwater with deep draft is devised. This note investigates numerically and experimentally the efficiency of this type of multi-cylindrical FBs in evaluating different geometries and aims at finding design guidelines. Due to the extraordinary length of the breakwater, the investigation is carried out in two dimensions. The 2D numerical model is based on the solution of the rigid body motion in the frequency domain, where the hydrodynamic forces are evaluated (thanks to a linear potential flow model), and the mooring forces do not include dynamic effects nor drag on the lines. The numerical predictions are compared to the results of a 1:10 scale experimental investigation. An atypical shape of the wave transmission (𝑘𝑡) curve is found, with a very low minimum in correspondence with the heave resonance frequency. The results essentially point out the influence of the position of the gravity center, the stiffness, and the mutual distance among cylinders on 𝑘𝑡.
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.
Various sources of harmonic problems in large wind power plants (WPPs) and optimized harmonic mitigation methods are presented in this paper. The harmonic problems such as sources of harmonic emission and amplification as well as harmonic stability are identified. Also modern preventive and remedial harmonic mitigation methods in terms of passive and active filtering are described. It is shown that WPP components such as long HVAC cables and park transformers can introduce significant low-frequency resonances which can affect wind turbine control system operation and overall WPP stability as well as amplification of harmonic distortion. It is underlined that there is a potential in terms of active filtering in modern grid-side converters in e.g. wind turbines, STATCOMs or HVDC stations utilized in modern large WPPs. It is also emphasized that the grid-side converter controller should be characterized by sufficient harmonic/noise rejection and adjusted depending on WPPs to which it is connected.
For many years, there has been a growing focus on the energy efficient operation of vessels, and several performance systems are available on the market. However, most of these systems have been developed for long-distance sailing, and cannot be used directly on working vessels. The aim of the paper is to present a conceptual framework, which describes the overall decision structures in connection with energy efficient operations of working vessels. The framework consists of three models: the first model describes the operational modes and activity states of a vessel; the second model describes the conceptual dependency between the different actors in the operational context and the last model presents the conceptual solution model, which integrates the two other models. The models are developed based on nearly 50 interviews conducted with seafarers and office staff, procedure descriptions, and observations during fieldwork on board the ships. The proposed framework will form the basis for a future multi-layered decision support system.
Port clusters are expected to play a significant role in the transition towards a circular economy, both at the level of facilitating regional and global transport within circular production chains, as well as hosting circular activities in port areas. There is strong evidence that significant investments in the circular economy (CE) are being made in port areas, albeit without much knowledge on their impacts. To ensure an efficient use of port resources in view of this transition, these impacts should be adequately monitored. Research on circular economy indicators for ports is still in an exploratory stage, characterized by an absence of in-depth research on the development of port-related circular economy indicators. This paper focuses on the development of a comprehensive set of relevant and feasible CE indicators, which aim to support port managing bodies (PMBs) as well as port stakeholders to monitor the CE transition taking place. Through multimethod qualitative research, including content analysis, focus groups, a gap analysis and a qualitative survey, an actionable list of CE 12 indicators for ports was developed. Seven of which are highly feasible and five of which have medium feasibility in terms of stakeholder relevance and ease of implementation. Findings related to (1) the overall limited CE ambition levels of PMBs and (2) the difference in the values of some indicators for different port typologies are also discussed. The value of this study for practitioners lies in providing them with an actionable set of KPIs which can support their efforts and communication related to their CE transition.