Tag Archive for: sustainability

Shipping operations are becoming increasingly automatised

Beyond 2020

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Marta Miquel

Written by: Marta Miquel – Chief Business Officer at the Escola Europea Intermodal Transport

As we close 2020, we can reflect on the fact that the year has been far from what we expected it to be. It is obvious that the pandemic, which began to ravage our societies in 2019 but fully accelerated in March of 2020, has brought our daily lives to a standstill, and has therewith marked a before and, above all, an after in our personal and professional lives, in the way we do business and in the way our sector has to face the future from now on.

Although it seems that the year will end with significant economic pitfalls for many companies, it is not all bleak. It is now evident that the virus  will have also contributed significantly towards the advancement of various key aspects of the logistics-port community: the digitalisation of the sector, the resilience of the services and its commitment to the environment. These are all strategic lines of work to which Covid-19 has given a boost and in which, now more than ever, it is necessary to continue working in the training circle of those who are working in the sector and future professionals, equipping them with the (potentially new) appropriate skills.

As an essential sector, the logistics-port community has been able to rise to the unusual occasion. It showed that the specialisation of companies contributes to quality solutions and, in this case, adapts accurately and rapidly to shifting realities. This requires teams of people with extensive knowledge of the logistics sector and international trade and who, despite being knowledgeable about the different branches or disciplines of trade, must be constantly re-trained to offer services that meet the needs of society and the evolution of the sector. These can range from the most theoretical aspects, which help to develop operations correctly, to teamwork abilities and digital literacy, which would ensure the proper and efficient use of new digital tools.

It cannot be denied that our community has already been working for decades towards the digitalisation of processes for the integration of operations at local levels and the facilitation of communications at international levels, and that the creation of Port Community Systems and the integration of maritime-port single windows have greatly sped up the interaction between the community’s actors. However, it is necessary to continue to move towards systems which allow the integration not only of port processes but also of elements of all facets of international trade and of the supply chain. For example, the use of digital documentation or single customs windows could be further developed and implemented universally across the European region. This is only the first step towards a sector in which not only data is exchanged, but also treated as “big data” and where added value can be obtained from the information collected for the improvement of the efficiency of our operations, making use of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

These digital improvements will help companies and their workers optimise resources, be more efficient and, consequently, reduce the impact of operations on society and the environment. However, we do not have to leave these decisions to one algorithm or one machine alone. New guidelines such as the GREEN DEAL and the proposed climate law at European level mean that environmental concerns are increasingly linked to our economy and our sector, calling for more intermodality, new fuels and alternate energy sources, and the application of stricter standards. The transport sector, considered to be one of the sectors with the greatest impact on the environment, will have to adapt to the restrictions on the limits of emissions. It is essential that the actors of our community are aware of both the impact they generate and the possibility of protecting the environment from additional emissions with the decisions they make. Once again, training becomes a key tool to provide all those involved in operations with the means to calculate and diminish this impact, which ranges from efficient truck driving to calculating and assessing emissions.

In this line, the Mediterranean project YEP MED puts these three main axes of relay in the front lens when the sector needs it the most. The project, led by the Escola Europea, will receive approximately 3 million euros in funding from the European Union (90% of its overall costs). It aims to align the needs of the logistics-port sector with the training of the sector participants, all through a training modality centred around a virtual lab, and ultimately improving employability in the sector. Focusing on young people NEETs and women, the project looks to advance our sector in the Mediterranean beyond 2020.

Thanks to the involvement of 8 logistics communities in the North and South of the Mediterranean, the region will be able to move towards a future with less unemployment, more digitalisation, less inequality between genders, and a greater reduction in emissions, demonstrating that the sector not only adapts to any situation, but also provides alternatives which make the logistics-port communities more committed to the economic, social and environmental progress.

You, as one of our Alumni, have decided to be part of this community, and it’s now your turn to make it happen.

Institutional panel - YEP MED Kick Off Meeting

EU-funded YEP MED project to provide employment opportunities for the Mediterranean youth

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The 9th of September 2020 became the official start date of the project “Youth Employment in the Ports of the Mediterranean“, or YEP MED in short. The project, co-financed by the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) of the European Union and led by the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport (Spain), aims to develop port-logistics training and vocational (TVET) resources adapted to sector needs to strengthen youth employability; increase and upgrade local employment opportunities through the creation of real dual-learning programmes with job placements, strengthening the role of SME’s operating in the port ecosystems for future employment creation; and setting up collaborative national and transnational partnerships between port-logistics associations, operators, SMEs, training centres and VET providers, whilst introducing a public-private partnership (PPP) co-management process.

Between the 7th and the 8th of October, the project kicked off by bringing together representatives of the partner companies and stakeholders in a virtually-held international event. On the 7th of October, presidents of the participating public authorities and private entities gave their own analyses and outlooks on the logistic and transport sectors in the region. The second day of the conference was dedicated to meetings between the partners to lay down the groundwork for the months ahead.

“The digitalisation, environmental and sustainability aspects are currently a priority for all ports and port logistics communities.  Operations are also analyzed from the point of view of their impact. New generations must understand the impact of their decisions on the environment and must design sustainable logistics chains.” – Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

“For us you are not a common strategic project, because you are one of the best scored ever project submitted. We have very high expectations of you. It’s the first project on ports and it’s not easy to succeed. It’s impressive because you are gathering competitors and it is still a major achievement for the programme. You are here to cooperate in something so important as it is training.” – Vincent Ernoux, Coordinator of branch Office in Valencia Antena, representing the managing Authority of the ENI CBCMED Programme.

 

About YEP MED

 

YEP MED Logo

YEP MED logo

Counting with the participation of 11 partners from Spain, Italy, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, including public administrations such as Port de Barcelona (Spain), Autorità Portuale Mar Tirreno Centro Settentrionale (Italy), Port de Marseille-Fos (France), Damieta Port Authority (Egypt), Office de la Marine Marchande et des Ports (Tunisia), Aqaba Development Corporation (Jordan) and Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut (Lebanon), as well as training centres in each of the countries such as the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport and Fundación Valenciaport (Spain),  Arab Academy (Egypt) and Institut Méditerranéen de Formation aux Métiers Maritimes (Tunisia), the project will strengthen the networks between the different countries and build the young employment sector across the Mediterranean basin. Associated entities, such as MEDPorts Association and Consell Valencià de la Joventut will also join the project.

YEP MED project was approved under the ENI CBC MED Programme call for strategic projects in 2019. It is 90% co-financed by the European Union funds, and will receive 2.9 M€ throughout its 30-month duration. During the project implementation phase, the partners and associates of the project will create virtual courses and carry out trainings for both trainers and trainees, while at the same time creating a stable network that will ensure that the training continues after the end of the project, ensuring equal opportunities for women and for young people in the years to come. For more information, you can contact Concha Palacios at the project office, citing YEP MED in the subject line.

 

*This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union under the ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the Programme management structures. 

Earth - Nature shot

Our planet through the camera lens

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Eduard Rodés - Director of the Escola Europea Intermodal Transport

Written by: Eduard Rodés, director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

One of the beautiful things about cinema is that the narrative is constructed by responding to the director’s understanding and interpretation of the script. I have recently seen two docufilms that have put the spotlight on the current situation of our planet. The first one is by Sir David Frederick Attenborough (b. 1926). He has recently written and published a book  called “A Life on Our Planet” (2020), which is accompanied by a docufilm starring himself.

In these two works, both complementing each other, he explains that the planet Earth is on the verge of a sixth mass extinction caused by climate change and the savage exploitation of the Earth’s resources. In his subsequent analysis, he observes floods, droughts and an increase in the acidity of the oceans that will make it impracticable for any human activity.

The docufilm estimated that he first major disaster will take place in the Amazon, which by the 2030s will have 75% of its surface area already deforested – an ecological tragedy for the entire southern cone of the American continent. By 2050, the oceans will turn acidic from the carbon dioxide emitted by transport and the automotive industries. Around 2080 Attenborough predicts a new pandemic arising from the difficulty of finding sufficient water and from the barrenness of agricultural fields, which by then would be destroyed by centuries of fertilizer use, leaving them unfertile. In 2100 he predicts that there will be no wildlife left and that existing biota will be limited to that which humans produce exclusively for consumption. The 22nd century will not be better according to this prophetic predictions: with a migratory avalanche from the coast inland caused by sea levels rising and destroying the cities on the coast. This mass exodus will cause a great humanitarian crisis and inequalities to grow. Scarce rainfall will cause droughts and make water the most precious commodity above gold or oil. Agricultural production will be reduced, and fishing will have little to look for in the depths of the seas.

Sir Attenborough knows what he’s talking about. In his 93 years he has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its diversity and wonder. Now, for the first time he reflects upon both the defining moments of his lifetime as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen. The narrative is presented through magnificent film production, and the added impressive presence of Attenborough himself is designed to  astonish the audience with the images and the messages shown, while looking for a positive and active reaction to the disaster that is looming. A reaction that sparks the unresolved “time to act” feeling, if there is still time to reverse the situation.

From a completely different standpoint, director Lucian Segura tackles the same problem in his work titled “1.5 Stay Alive” (2015). This is the story of oil and gas exploration in the Caribbean and the role played by Trinidad and Tobago in the world’s quest for “black gold” – oil – a commodity which today shapes our lives, rules our economies and influences our political society. The aim of international climate change policy is to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. However scientists believe that a temperature rise of just 1.5 degrees could lead to irreversible damage to ecosystems and terrestrial and marine environments. The style of 1.5 Stay Alive is part music video and part factual. In it, popular Caribbean musicians express their experiences with rising seas by composing and performing songs about climate change, and their visions of how to confront it.

Intertwined throughout the film are insights by scientists and local climate experts. The film visits Belize, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Miami and Louisiana. These regions are examples of the areas that will be, and some already are, affected by rising sea levels.

The film takes a closer look at this issue focusing on the Caribbean region. He describes the far-reaching consequences that such warming will have on biodiversity, fish stocks, coastal protection and the survival of Caribbean coral reefs. The documentary also shows how climate change will impact the people who live on the islands and along the Caribbean coastlines and whose living spaces and native lands are on the verge of being lost.

Both docufilms are available online:

You may wonder why I am talking about the planet using this platform and not focusing directly on intermodal transport. The reason is that for some time now I have come to the conclusion that everything is part of the same system. If we cannot understand what the scientists are telling us is happening, we will not understand the urgency of thinking and acting in order to achieve the maximum possible effort on our part to reverse the process and launch the path that will allow us to reverse the situation. We are part of the problem, so together let’s be part of the solution.

The Port of Barcelona completes the RePort project with 26 trucks converted to dual-fuel

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The RePort project, led by the Port of Barcelona is making positive progress and preparing for its final phase. The initiative aims to promote natural gas as an alternative fuel for trucks.

“Today we already have 25 trucks transformed to support compressed natural gas (CNG), and of the remaining one will be transformed to liquefied natural gas (LNG). For this we will put some LNG tanks and adapt the engine so it can work with both diesel and gas,” explained Daniel Ruiz, environmental consultant for the introduction of Liquefied Natural Gas to the Port of Barcelona.

On the 19th of February Daniel Ruiz presided over the general assembly of the RePort project. The meeting aimed to clarify the last points of the final phase of the project, which is scheduled to end on 15 April this year. This included “closing the technical part of the project and the economic justification, where all the documentation must be submitted in order to process the grant”. Also, the meeting served to “talk about the last transformation of the trucks to LNG”.

According to Ruiz, the transformed trucks correspond to different companies that are part of the Association of Container Transport Companies (ATEC according to its Spanish name).

In the words of Daniel Ruiz, the most important thing of this initiative, led and coordinated by the Port of Barcelonam, is the “reduction of emissions of NOx and CO2”, alongside the “reduction of the economic bill, as the use of natural gas results in less consumed diesel, therefore making it more profitable for truckers”.

The RePort project

 The RePort project planned for “the transformation of 26 trucks that operate in the Port of Barcelona and transport containers of goods, transforming them from diesel to the dual-fuel mode, with the use of compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas,” said Daniel Ruiz, from the Port of Barcelona.

RePort is funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund under the Catalan FEDER Operational Programme, managed by Acció, the Catalan Government’s agency for business competitiveness.

The project partners are the Association of Container Transporters (ATEC), Gas Natural Fenosa, Generalitat de Catalunya, Dimsport Spain, IDIADA or the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and the Escola Europea-Intermodal Transport, among others.

Daniel Ruiz reiterated that “the transformation of the engines has consisted of the installation of a switchboard”, which controls the injection of gas into the engine and gas tanks. Of the trucks that are part of the project, 25 have a deposit of compressed natural gas and one has been equipped with liquefied natural gas.

For more information about the project, you can visit the project pages:

 

 

Source:

Diario del Puerto

The Port of Barcelona to present 4 sustainability projects in Smart Ports

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The Port of Barcelona will present four environmental sustainability projects during the upcoming Smart Ports conference, which will take place on 19, 20 and 21 November within the framework of the SmartCity Expo. This was announced by Emma Cobos, the Business Development Director of the Port of Barcelona, during a meeting of the members of the Propeller Club Barcelona, held in Barcelona at the beginning of October.

One of the projects that the Barcelona port will present at the Congress will be the traceability of container goods, “which has a very open mobile application for users,” said Cobos.

Another one of the initiatives that the Port Authority of Barcelona will present to the public at the fair is the electrification of docks, “which responds to social and institutional pressures in the face of the environmental emergency,” said Emma Cobos.

The Port of Barcelona will also explain the project of traceability of the entry and exit of vehicles and trucks in the terminals, “where situations are generated that we hope to solve through a digital reservation system,” explained Cobos.

Finally, Emma Cobos advanced that the work of the Catalan port to “make navigation at sea smarter” will also be presented at the Smart Ports Congress. The goal of this fourth project in terms of environmental sustainability, is that “our customers can have greater visibility of when you can dock at the port and can know when there is free space to do so,” added Cobos.

Thus, representatives of the Port Authority of Barcelona will participate in the event with the aim of bringing the Smart Ports concept closer to that of an intelligent city. “The port is a very important part of the city and we want to highlight to those intelligent cities that in many cases they need intelligent ports”, explained Emma Cobos.

Other ports

The Port of Barcelona will share the floor space with the Ports of Antwerp, Hamburg, Montreal, Rotterdam and Los Angeles, all of whom will also participate in the Smart City Expo. Each port may submit four projects that present environmentally, economically and socially sustainable solutions. In this way, “we will present initiatives that each port has implemented in the industrial field, based on technological innovations”. To date, the programme has more than 60 speakers.

For more information on the port of Barcelona, or on the SmartCity Expo World Congress, you can go to the event website. For registration, you can click here for a 25% discount.

Source: Diario del Puerto