Is cold ironing (onshore power supply, or alternative maritime power, or shore-to-ship power): a viable solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ports? EU / Greek ports perspective
Abstract
Adaptation to climate change has led Institutional bodies to work relentlessly to find solutions to this progressing problem. European Union has been diligently formulating a comprehensive institutional framework aimed at addressing maritime transport’s environmental impact and fostering sustainable practices. Maritime transport, responsible for approximately 75% of the Union’s external trade and 31% of its internal trade by volume, plays a pivotal role in the economy of the Union. However, it also accounts for a significant portion of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions within the EU, contributing around 11% of all EU CO2 emissions from transport and 3 to 4% of total CO2 emissions in the EU.
In response to the pressing need to curb emissions, Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’) set a clear objective for the net reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. Moreover, this regulation places the Union on a trajectory towards achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050. As part of this commitment, complementary policies have been introduced to expedite the adoption of sustainably produced renewable and low-carbon fuels in the maritime transport sector, all while respecting technological neutrality.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 requires the port to be able to provide shore-side electricity supply for at least 90% of container vessels over 5,000 GT, ro-ro passenger ships and high-speed passenger craft over 5,000 gt, and passenger ships over 5,000 gt, provided the annual average number of ships in each of these categories exceeds 100, 40 and 25 respectively. However, the lack of a common methodology for setting targets and adopting measures in national policies led to significant differences in the levels of ambition between Member States which was perceived as a hindrance to the establishment of a comprehensive network of alternative fuel infrastructure.
The paper examines the most important obstacles and towards EU legislative framework implementation and techno-economic challenges.
Received 25 May 2024
Accepted: 04 June 2024
Published: 26 June 2024
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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21622/MACI.2024.01.1.915
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Copyright (c) 2024 Emmanouil Nikolaidis, Marina Maniati
Multidisciplinary Adaptive Climate Insights
E-ISSN: 3009-6332
P-ISSN: 3009-7924
Published by:
Academy Publishing Center (APC)
Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT)
Alexandria, Egypt