What are renewable energy sources?
Ports have the potential to contribute significantly to a more sustainable transport industry by using renewable energy for their operations, as well as supplying it to visitors, and the global energy system. But, they require the right digital infrastructure and networks to deliver these benefits.
Renewable energy both produced and used by ports includes:
- Wind power
- Solar power
- Nuclear power
- Hydrogen and hydropower
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
The global renewable energy market is substantial, according to DNV’s latest Energy Transition report. The classification society predicts that from 2030 and beyond, nearly all energy additions will be wind and solar power. These will grow 9-fold and 13-fold, respectively between now and 2050. This will require the next 27 years to add renewables and remove fossil fuels to increase renewables’ share from 20% to 52% by 2050.
How do renewable energies reduce emissions?
Wind power.
Offshore wind is expected to be one of the biggest drivers of global emissions reduction. In 2020, 93 GW of new installations were added, bringing the global cumulative wind power capacity up to 743 GW.
DNV reported in its Energy Transition Outlook 2023 that by 2050, offshore wind will contribute to 30% of the power supply. According to research by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), 80% of the world’s offshore wind resource potential lies in waters deeper than 60m.
Ports play a key role in harnessing offshore wind. The generation and distribution of energy from offshore wind farms is a prime example. Ports that are located near offshore wind farms can harness the energy for their power systems, or they can export surplus energy to other industries.
Solar power.
Ports can also generate renewable energy as electricity via solar power. Portsmouth International Port in the UK switched to solar power in 2023, installing 2,660 roof-mounted solar panels across its buildings. This provides 35% of the site’s electricity. The port also implemented the first solar canopies at a UK port. An upgraded connection to the national grid was completed in July 2023, allowing the port to take advantage of the 1.2MW peak system. According to the port, the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 239 tonnes.
Nuclear power.
Interest in nuclear power is slowly increasing, according to findings from DNV in its Maritime Forecast to 2050. Nuclear power today provides about 10% of the world’s electricity from about 440 power reactors and around 30% of eco-friendly electricity sources. These could be used in theory to provide power to ports. They have a lower upfront investment compared to large nuclear power plants and can be scaled to meet the specific energy needs of a port.
For a more in-depth understanding of the topics covered in this article, refer to our report in partnership with Ericsson, Getting Ports to Net Zero. This comprehensive guide provides an introduction to port emissions reduction and why advanced networks such as 5G must be considered as part of the journey to net zero.
