A new research project launched by the European Commission this month, has promised to raise awareness of energy consumption and its environmental and economic effects on ports.

Green EFFORT - or Green and Effective Operations at Terminals and in Ports, has been tasked with improving strategic energy management in ports and is due to run until June 2014. The project, which has a budget of €2m, will highlight the significant opportunities for ports to save, reduce and manage energy consumption and minimise CO2 emissions.

Professor Jens Froese, project coordinator, commented: "The main goals of the Green EFFORTS project must be based on detailed knowledge of terminal and port processes. Therefore, our first step is to identify relevant port and terminal domains and processes, by developing a process map to capture and control the energy consumption and carbon footprint in port and terminal, known as Port and Terminal Knowledge Landscape (PTKL)."

Eight partners are involved collaboratively in the project - PSA Sines (Container Terminal), Port of Trelleborg (RoRo Terminal), Sächsische Binnenhafen Oberelbe (Inland Waterway Terminal), Siemens, IHS Global Insight, Hamburg Port Training Institute, Fraunhofer Centre for Maritime Logistics and Services and Jacobs University Bremen.

Image Source: http://www.designcognition.com/2010/05