Training, new technologies and virtual worlds

/in

By Eduard Rodés, Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

Yuval Noah Harari[1] , the historian-philosopher, an Israeli public intellectual, and a professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem stressed in his work Homo Deus that the truly unique feature of the homo sapiens is its ability to create and believe in fiction. All other animals use their communication system to describe reality. We use our communication system to create new realities.

Developments in digital technologies applied to images have made the distance between reality and fiction increasingly smaller, and thus more difficult to distinguish. A magnificent example of this mix between the two worlds is Steven Spielberg’s film Ready Player One[2]. It tells the story of a teenager who likes to escape from the increasingly bleak real world in which he lives through a popular virtual utopia called “Oasis”. The alternation between reality and fiction and the permanent interaction between the two worlds gives this story a suggestive effect in which a new world that seems very credible is imagined.

The film’s own evolution is linked to a second brilliant reflection by Harari: the secret of the Homo Sapiens’ success is large-scale flexible cooperation. In the case of the film, it is the capacity for cooperation and teamwork between some of the characters that helps the protagonist to reach his goals.

Thus, technology, virtualization, consistency, resilience, teamwork and cooperation become basic vectors of progress.

Something similar is happening in the world of education. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a vital digitalization process. Increasingly classes are being held remotely. The most important thing, nevertheless, is that a process of reinterpreting of things that can be done online has irreversibly begun.

Simulation: The beginnings

Part of the digitization process began long ago with the development of simulators that were especially designed for vehicle-related operations: ships, planes, trucks, cranes, etc. Today, very sophisticated facilities exist in which many hours of practice can be put in to gain skills, and face difficult situations – something that would be impossible to do in a real environment. All of this can be done at a relatively low cost compared to what it would have cost in reality.

Augmented reality is slowly spreading to all areas of our lives

Simply zeroing on the road, and looking at the most complex and difficult industry, we can look at the Racing scene. On the 15th of April, six Formula 1 drivers have participated in a new “simracing” championship in a virtual environment called “Race for the World”. The race took place without any loss of hardware, equipment, and did not endanger the lives of the formula drivers should mistakes or unforeseen circumstances occur.

Formula 1 racing is no longer only simulated in arcades

In Spain, good simulators for trucks or railways, and even traffic control centres, can be acquired from the Basque company Lander[3]. They offer a great variety of vehicles and a wide range of virtual scenarios in which to practice.

Another example that is particularly interesting is the[4] Vstep company, which has designed platforms with bridge simulators, either of a tug, river navigation, military vessels, offshore operations or fishing boats. The company also offers simulators for emergency situations, both on land and at sea. The simulator allows the configuration of all kinds of weather situations and available human and material resources – making it particularly attractive to the industry actors from all company sizes and varying at a relatively low cost compared to what it would cost to do it in the real vehicle climates.

Simulators for the aviation sector were among those that developed very quickly, fuelled by the high cost of training hours, the high value of the aircraft and the risky nature of operations. Today all airlines work with simulators to train their pilots.  For example, should you wish to do so, the company Virgin[5] allows you to practice with a Boeing 747 cockpit simulator for a reasonable price; the training includes an introduction class and the possibility of choosing the departure and arrival airport. It is called the Virgin Experience Days and it is difficult to tell where the training begins and the fun ends.

Example of a flight simulator console

What is clear is that simulators make experiences possible, and this has led to a new culture surrounding this type of experience. Last year we had an exhibition in Barcelona, in Port Vell,  entitled ‘Meet Vincent van Gogh’ – an experience of getting into the painter’s shoes. This was a multimedia montage, called an immersive experiences, in which you could play a 3D reproduction of The Sunflowers, sit at one of the tables in the Parisian café Le Tambourin, take a selfie on the bed in the yellow room in Arles, paint with the painter’s palette or get on the harvest cart. It was a virtual reality that took you into another world – an unforgettable experience. From an educational perspective, as a teaching method it seems without a doubt effective. The emotional impact of the lived experience is sure to leave an indelible mark, and is arguably more effective than visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Simulation in the classroom

Simulators are not new – for some years now business simulators have been developed as a teaching and learning method. A Simulated Company is a student-run company that operates like a real business. It simulates the procedures, products and services of a real company with its structure and organization. Guided by a monitor or coach and business mentors, students create their Simulated Companies, growing them from product development, through production and distribution to marketing, sales, human resources, accounting/finance and web design. As “employees” of the Simulated Company, the students are responsible for its management and, through the methodology of “learning by doing”, they develop new competences. They carry out market research, place advertisements, buy, plan logistics, sell simulated products or services and pay salaries, taxes, publish profits, etc. Each company engages in commercial activities, both nationally and internationally, with other companies in the Simulated[6]Companies network, following standard commercial procedures and actions.

In this case, the virtualization of companies to create simulation environments present in the educational sphere would bring us closer to a current trend called digital twins. DHL[7], in a 2019 study on digital twins in logistics, defined them as another step towards bringing the real and fictional worlds closer together. The gap is beginning to close. Developments in the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and virtual reality technologies herald a turning point where the physical and digital worlds can be managed as one, and we can interact with the digital side of physical things just as we would with things themselves, even in the physical 3D space around us.

You will read this article in a digital environment. You may use the links to the Internet I have left to go deeper into the topics I have pointed out. And your connection to the real world will be the connection that you and I have given you. And don’t be too sure that I am not a computer. Physical reality and virtual reality are beginning to blend into each other, and that will change everything.’

 

References:

[1] https://www.ynharari.com/

[2] https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/ready-player-one/

[3] http://Landersimulation.com/en

[4] http://vstepsimulator.com

[5] https://www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk/60-minutes-747-jumbo-flight-simulator

[6] http://inform.es/en

[7] https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/global/core/documents/pdf/glo-core-digital-twins-in-logistics.pdf

#DidYouKnow: Spotlight on Algeria

/in , ,
Mohamed Lazhar Benaissa

Mohamed Lazhar Benaissa Academic at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Technologie – ENST – Alger

In 2017 the Escola Europea, along with the Escola’s founding partners, has launched the MOS Magreb project. Its objective was to increase the cooperation between the countries in the North and South of the Mediterranean Sea. The project evolved into TransLogMed, which now counts with 42 partners from Spain, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, with the goal of incorporating other partners from Egypt in the future. The long-term objective of this project is to foster the development of the Motorways of the Sea between the Mediterranean countries, which will in turn help promoting inclusive growth and youth employability, as well as sustainable development in the region.

This month we have caught up with Mr. Mohamed Lazhar Benaissa, an academic at the École Nationale Supérieure de Technologie (ENST) in Alger, the deputy director for external relations and continuing education and a lecturer at the Escola Europea to give us an overview of the logistics scene in Algeria.

 

Logistics in Algeria

Algeria’s geographical location as the largest country in Africa, situated at the crossroads of important trade corridors (Europe-Africa, Mediterranean Sea), gives it the opportunity to play a major role in the field of logistics. To the north, Algeria has a 1,200 km long seafront overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and is home to 11 trading ports through which more than 95% of its foreign trade passes. However, this situation should not mask the numerous constraints related to the characteristics of these ports and their current organisation. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Maritime Transport Connectivity Index [1]for Algeria in 2019 is only 12.81/100, far behind countries such as Egypt (66.72) and Morocco (58.19).  This is because the ports are often of ancient foundation[2] and are located within large cities that have prospered without sparing the land reserves necessary for their harmonious development. Whether first or second generation, these ports are subject to simple load breaks and do not meet the criteria that characterise modern logistics ports[3]. Currently the feedering used consists of coupling transoceanic containerised traffic headed towards large European ports with short-distance traffic headed towards Algeria, which increases the transit time of inputs. This will subsequently see their time lengthening once again during the transhipment operations. This results in insufficient yields and malfunctions that generate incessant bottlenecks and yields additional logistics costs.

The Algerian fleet

As regards the Algerian maritime fleet, as of the end of 2017, it was made up of 16 (often) obsolete units distributed among :

  1. 8 bulk carriers, 4 multi-purpose vessels and 2 RO-RO vessels belonging to the public company CNAN[4],
  2. 1 RO-RO and 1 bulk carrier belonging to the private company Nolis, a subsidiary of the Cevital[5]group.

What about containerisation?

As for containerisation, which has been gaining significant market share value over the past several years, it has proven of great benefit to foreign shipping lines as, in the virtual absence of the national flag, it allows them to freely set transport prices. According to World Bank figures[6], container traffic increased from 2007 to 2018 from 200.050 to 1.465.800 TEUs respectively, which is equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 20.6%. Given this growth opportunity, it is not surprising that we are witnessing the establishment of international terminal operators in Algerian ports such as the Singaporean Portek in Bejaia and the Emirati DP World in Algiers and Djendjen.

Where is Algeria on the digitisation scene?

During port passage, the lack of a rapid information systems makes it difficult to forecast the capacity of goods to be loaded, which, in the case of temperature-controlled products for example, would keep them on the quayside without any guarantees of preservation and respect for the cold chain. At the time of writing, only the Algerian customs can use a computer system called SIGAD in order to speed up the customs declaration circuit. In its most recent version, this system has a risk management system that classifies goods according to 3 circuits: green, orange and red. In the green circuit, goods are not subject to examination. In the orange circuit, the control consists of a documentary examination and in the red circuit, a physical inspection of the goods is required.

What of intermodal transport?

In terms of land transport infrastructure, Algeria has substantial networks whose quality has improved in recent years. Nevertheless, the motorway network is still insufficient and the lack of connections to several ports bears a cost. The rail network, for its part, is still in the process of development in terms of quality and coverage.

Road transport logistics, which dominates 90 per cent of goods flows, is only slightly outsourced by companies, since more than 50 per cent of the market is still handled by own-account transport. There is currently a growing awareness of the advantages of using transport for hire or reward and outsourcing the transport function, and the opportunities for growth for this sector are ample.

The provision of road transport services has long been a public monopoly. The opening up of the sector in 1988 led to an atomisation of the sector through the creation of very small companies with vehicles of all ages and of varying condition. It is therefore more a question of small-scale, or even informal activities that risk increasing the financial and organisational risks and reducing the scope to optimise the services offered. Air transport plays only a marginal role and rail freight activity, which is already weak, has been in inexorable decline for decades and is limited to heavy goods transport. Multimodal transport is almost non-existent.

Distribution is dominated by wholesalers present in most economic sectors and in particular in agri-food products (beverages, sugar, etc.). Few of them follow known logistics models, such as Numidis of the Cevital group. Indeed, with the exception of large conurbations (Algiers, Oran, Sétif…), where large modern warehouses are beginning to appear, storage facilities are of modest size (from 2 to 4,000 m²), of old-fashioned design, lack functionality and do not have special equipment such as loading docks. The players are either industrialists (acting on their own account), wholesalers or retail traders.

Logistics Warehouse in Algeria

Modern logistics warehouse in Bouira (Cevital)

Thus, logistics services are essentially limited to the subcontracting of transport operations.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the training situation in Algeria?

The current supply of training is insufficient in many areas, no doubt due to the lack of formal demand from the sector and a lack of impetus from the public authorities.

The Algerian authorities have been trying to improve the logistics situation since 2007, when the first master plan for the establishment of new logistics platforms was prepared. However, the implementation of the latter has not yet materialized. The other actions undertaken were :

  • The World Bank has been approached to prepare a logistics strategy and upgrade the legislative and regulatory framework, as several ministries and agencies are currently involved in logistics and are sometimes in conflict of jurisdiction;
  • The preparation of a project for the construction of a modern port in Hamadania about 100 km west of Algiers with a Chinese partnership;
  • Digitisation through the implementation of an electronic port one-stop shop. This will help unite the whole logistics chain of the ports and the segments that interact in its activities. It will also enable the digitisation of procedures and a better coordination and planning of port operations.

One can already wonder whether these actions will end up putting logistics in Algeria on the rails of modernity.

 

References:

[1] https://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/TableViewer/tableView.aspx

[2] With the exception of the oil ports of Arzew, Skikda and the general cargo port of Djendjen, built after Independence, the rest of the infrastructure was built between 1840 and 1959, initially built to allow exports during the time of colonization.

[3] Algerian ports are characterised by shallow draughts and narrow gravel pits, which are incompatible with modern port operating requirements.

[4] The average age of the CNAN fleet is between 30 and 35 years, which corresponds to that of the technical reform.

[5] The two Nolis vessels are mainly used to cover the transport needs of the Cevital group.

[6] Site https://donnees.banquemondiale.org/indicateur/IS.SHP.GOOD.TU?locations=DZ consulted in May 2020

3D model of globe - view of Europe

The aftermath of COVID-19 in the Mediterranean

/in

This year the Escola Europea, along with 10 partners from around the Mediterranean, will launch a new pan-Mediterranean project in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI-CBCMED). The project, called YEPMED (“Youth Employment in the Ports of the Mediterranean”), will work towards the development of port-logistics training and vocational (TVET) resources adapted to sector needs to strengthen youth employability in Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, France, Italy and Spain. This in turn will increase and upgrade local employment opportunities through the creation of real dual-learning programmes with job placements; and help set up collaborative national and transnational partnerships between port-logistics associations, operators, SMEs, training centres and VET providers, whilst introducing a PPP co-management process. The ambitious project is scheduled to run from 2020 to 2023.

When looking at any situation related to our industry, but in particular when looking at employment opportunities and trends, it is always prudent to take in the national and international context. This year the whole world was faced with an extremely potent and dangerous enemy – a new and extremely rapid strain of coronavirus – and we have already begun to see the consequences of the pandemic on the social, cultural and economic spheres. In this article we explore what exactly is the situation in the countries that are involved in YEPMED, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tunisia

The government asked the Tunisian Parliament for powers to issue emergency decrees for a period of 2 months, starting in April 4, 2020. The government stressed the imperative to engage in continuous re-assessment, to ensure the success of the three stages of deconfinement. The first stage has run from May 4 to 24, the second from May 25 to June 4, and the third (currently active) from June 5 to July 14, 2020. Restriction of movement between regions was lifted on June 4 and the country’s borders will re-open on June 27.

Lebanon

On 21 March, Prime Minister Hassan Diab Taboule in a televised speech urged people in Lebanon to implement a “self-imposed curfew,” adding that the lockdown measures will be enforced more strictly by the security forces. On 26 March, Lebanon imposed a partial curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to try to slow the spread of the virus. On June 11, 2020, A curfew remains in place daily from 12 midnight until 5:00 a.m., to include private vehicular travel. The Lebanese government has extended the general mobilization until July 5, 2020.  Rafic Hariri International airport has been closed to regularly-scheduled commercial flights since March 19. It will remain closed until at least June 21.

Egypt

In March 2020, Egypt has adopted many measures to stop the spreading of the virus, including suspending mass prayers at mosques, and shutting down of churches and other spiritual havens. The country also shut down shopping malls, restaurants, coffee shops, and nightclubs overnight, in addition to imposing a curfew starting from 8pm to 6am. On April 7, 2020, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi called for the reduction of employees working in offices across Egypt, aiming to avoid a pattern of suspensions of work. He demanded that more employees be allowed to work from home, to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). Starting on May 30, every person is required to wear a facemask when entering all public institutions and public and private transportation. Egypt will open up its main seaside resorts for international flights and foreign tourists from July 1. The Government of Egypt will review all measures in mid-June.

Jordan

On March 25, 2020 a state of emergency and curfew was declared. As of the 3rd of May, 2020, most sectors were allowed to resume work gradually, but schools, universities, gyms, public gatherings, church and mosque sermons remained banned, and a curfew from 7 pm to 8am remains in place as well as a curfew on Fridays. On May 21, the Government of Jordan announced the continued suspension of regular commercial passenger flights to and from Queen Alia International Airport through June 4, 2020. On May 29, the Government of Jordan announced that airports in Jordan will remain closed through July 1, 2020. The Government of Jordan announced that everyone must adhere to social distancing rules and wear masks and gloves when entering public places (including ministries, government departments, official and public institutions), and when entering places where services are provided directly to the public (including companies, institutions, malls, stores, medical clinics and health centers, cellular communications companies, electricity and water companies, banks, offices, buses, taxis, public vehicles and private vehicles with more than one person). Anyone violating the order is currently facing a fine.

France

On March 17, 2020, the French Government announced the nation-wide lockdown. The French Government has announced the second phase of deconfinement, which began on June 2, 2020. The 100 km limit on travel within France, which was in place since March, no longer applies. Groups are still limited to a maximum of 10 people in public spaces. Certain public services have gradually been allowed to open. Phase two is expected to last until at least June 21, 2020. Phase 3 of de-confinement is looming from June 22, 2020, and the government has provisionally set the date for the end of the state of health emergency next July 10. Exceptional measures could be maintained until November 10. On June 15, border restrictions and travel into France from European countries is planned to be lifted. Nevertheless, the decision on whether to relax/open border restrictions on arrivals into France from outside of the European Union is still pending.

Italy

On March 11, 2020, the Italian Government began the nationwide lockdown, following a dramatic outbreak in the Bergamo region. The lockdown was the strictest in Europe, and lasted for nearly two months. Gradual opening of activities started May 4, 2020. On May 17, 2020, the Italian government issued a decree providing that from June 3, 2020, persons traveling to Italy from member states of the European Union are permitted to enter in the country, with exemption for quarantine. For those traveling from other countries, travel to Italy will be allowed only for proven work, urgent health needs, or to return to their places of residence. Those travelers are required to self-isolate for 14 days under the supervision of health authorities, either at home or another address of their choosing.

 

Spain

The Spanish Government started the lockdown on March 16 2020. Gradual opening of activities started on the 4th of May 2020. Spain’s nationwide State of Emergency will remain in effect until June 21, 2020. The Spanish government is gradually relaxing some confinement measures in phases over the weeks leading up to then. Confinement measures will vary from region to region within Spain. At the time of writing, Spain’s air, land and sea borders remain closed for entry, excluding the land border with Andorra, with limited exceptions. This includes the land borders with Portugal, France, and Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla) and the sea borders in the Canary and Balearic Islands, as well as the sea ports in mainland Spain, with limited exceptions. At the time of writing, only Spanish citizens or citizens/legal residents of EU or Schengen countries may enter Spain.

 

Post-Coronavirus?

The current strain of Coronavirus has greatly affected the social and economic paradigms present throughout the world – and with the impending recession the economic consequences seem dire. It will be years before the countries can go back to pre-Covid realities – in the cultural, educational and transport sectors in particular (among others). This is why international partnerships and projects that work towards the improvement of cross-border cooperation and the sharing of know-how are now pivotal for economic recovery. Without a functioning logistics sector, the economy of a country cannot recover. Without maritime transport, 80% of global freight and more than half of consumer fuel will not be delivered – vital for global recover and geopolitics. This is particularly true in the Mediterranean, where the existing and developing links between countries in the North and South of the basin, as well as between the West and East, are becoming essential lifelines in recovery. All of this needs to be considered at while at the same time keeping up with any digital innovations and smart technologies incorporated and developed by actors in the transport sector, along with the environmental factors that exist to ensure the health and safety of our Blue Economy (and by extension the globe).

YEP-MED will work exactly with this mission in mind – to help share knowledge, facilitate economic recovery and ease social strain by providing employment opportunities to people on the southern and northern shores of the Mediterranean basin. As economies open up following months-long lockdowns in the seven countries, the Escola and its partners are beginning to work to bear fruit of this new initiative. Stay tuned!

 

More links: 

Smart Seals: Spotlight on Shellock

/in ,

Throughout centuries, research and innovation have driven human progress forward. In the maritime sector, blue innovation in particular is key towards the advancement of the industry – in particular against the backdrop of Covid-19 and the damage that it had done to the global economies. This month we caught up with representatives from Shellock, a logistics start-up located in Barcelona, to find out more about the innovative technologies they have been developing.

 

Shellock is a Logistics Startup, which provides real-time tracking to shipping containers. It combines its product – a service web platform for tracking and its corresponding smart and reusable seal – to make it possible to transparently track the different stages of the shipments throughout the whole supply chain, from origin to destination.

Shellock boasts a user-friendly interface

Shellock also has a huge environmental goal, which consists of eliminating the traditional single-use plastic seals for shipping containers. These plastic seals make 4,000 of plastic waste annually, slowly contributing to the devastation of the marine eco-system. Using Shellocks seals will eliminate the waste of these, as these smart seals are reusable. Moreover, ceasing the trade of the traditional seals can help reduce the emissions of 11 tons of CO2 annually for every 2,000 active Shellocks, further contributing to environmental conservation.

Example of cargo tracking in Shellock

Currently less than 1% of the shipping containers in service are being tracked in real time – presenting a huge opportunity for these kinds of solutions.

The Shellock platform is a web application that can be accessed by mobile devices and normal browsers on desktop or laptop computers. This is the space where the customers are able to see the real-life updates for their shipments. This information is presented in an intuitive and user-friendly dashboard, that details and records every event of the cargo’s trip, making possible to know when the cargo is (or) was transiting by road, sailing by sea, standing by in port or warehouse, etc. Shellock also provides a predictive time of arrival of the cargo and an alert management system, which gives alerts on any incidents such as, robbery, delays and impacts, in real time. Through all of this, the company outfits its customers with the necessary data to allow for better decision making. The format of the data collected is also integrable with others systems used by other actors in the supply chain, such as insurance companies, ports, etc.

Shellock realt-time tracking of cargo

What is a Shellock?

Shellock is an IoT (Internet of Things) device that starts to emit data to the online platform as soon as it is locked or attached to the door of the container. It is shaped like a padlock, making it familiar and thus easy to use in the market. This reusable IoT device has the autonomy to change network providers all around the globe, in order to keep emitting data and making the real-time visibility possible. It is also equipped with impact and anti-robbery sensors to track any incidents that may occur.

Prototype of a Shellock seal

A little bit of history

In May 2019, the founders met during the first maritime and blue logistics startup weekend, held in Barcelona by Techstars. Without knowing each other beforehand, the group created the team and the idea of Shellock was born after an intense and fun brainstorming session. The concept was so inspiring and enlightening, that it motivated the team in such a way that they forgot they were strangers, but felt that they had known each other for years.  This group of entrepreneurs spent three long days during the weekend, shaping the concept, developing the business plan, researching the competitors and preparing a presentation of the final proposal. On the third day, during a 5 minute-pitch, they presented Shellock to a jury compriisng high-rank professionals of the maritime and logistics industry. Shellock placed second in a long list of propsals. Following the award ceremony, a few managers from logistic enterprises approached them, asking the members whether they were planning to make Shellock a reality. And thus Shellock was born.

In January 2020, Shellock partnered with the Universitat de Barcelona and moved to its co-work space known as StartUb! In February, they started the Santander Incubation programme called “Explorer”. In April Shellock was chosen for an acceleration programme for maritime startups, which will be held in Haugesund, Norway and is organized by FLOW Maritime Accelerator. Through this programme the company has secured mentorships, help to approach potential customers and partners to run tests for a product market fit, and will receive help to get in touch with potential investors and other business opportunities. This is going to be a huge opportunity for this promising Startup, and will doubtlessly help reshape the shipping industry and scale-up its products and ventures.

In order to fulfill this dream of going to Norway, Shellock launched a crowdfunding campaign on https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/shellock–2 – / to cover some expenses for the trip to Haugesund and to help produce and optimise the first batch of Shellocks once the programme comes to an end.

Meet the team:

  • CEO – Carlos Garces: Marine Engineer and Full Stack Developer, with wide experience in software and hardware testing for Mercedes-Benz.
  • CPO – Adolfo Omar Calderon: Nautical Engineer in Navigation and Marine Transportation, with wide international experience working for Tidewater Martine and The Panama Canal.
  • CTO – Ferran Guasch: Electronic Engineer, with experience as testing Engineer for Mercedes-Benz and skilled in hardware development.

Do you want to join this movement?

The Shellock team has set up a crowdfunding campaign to help finance their progress. By contributing you won’t be only helping them, you will also join the sustainability movement, helping to reduce the use of plastic and lowering CO2 emissions in one of the biggest industries in the world. Shellock will give away t-shirts, mugs, and some accessories with the company logo, nice collector series Shellocks and will grant some space for sponsors on their website. If you are interested, you can access the campaign through the following link:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/shellock–2#/

RePort project nearing its close – 26 trucks modified to run on natural gas

/in ,

On the 10th of June 2020, the final training organised under the RePort project took place, which focused on the efficient driving techniques of vehicles equipped with natural gas. The participants followed strict health and safety guidelines applied in accordance with the Spanish government guidelines aimed to limit the spread of Covid-19.

The training consisted of a theoretical class on efficient driving techniques of trucks transformed to run on Natural Gas under the framework of the RePort project, as well as practical workshops in said trucks and with drivers who have attended previous theoretical parts of the training but had yet to complete the practical aspects.

In total, throughout the lifetime of the project, 26 trucks have been adapted to carry natural gas, and their respective drivers have received the corresponding training to operate them safely and efficiently.

The RePort project begun in January 2016. It aims to reduce the air pollutant and acoustic emissions at the Port of Barcelona, with the overall goal of improving the air quality of the city. The project, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, is nearing its end.

RePort - Mobilitat Eco

The overall goal of the RePort has been to develop an innovative technology to convert Diesel engines into Dual-Fuel ones, making it possible for them to run on gas, therewith making them more sustainable and less polluting. The partners have been contributing to the consolidation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a real, efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. This helped contribute to the development of a logistics hub within the port area where trucks run on these alternative fuels. This has been in line with the Port of Barcelona’s Sustainable Development Plan, which has set guidelines for a new and more sustainable industrial transportation sector to emerge in the Catalan capital.

The partners involved in RePort are:

The RePort project will finalise in July 2020.