The Port of Kiel has set the goal of reducing all of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to zero by 2030. The path to climate neutrality is described in a three-step plan.
The port’s three-step plan envisages covering 60% of the energy requirements of ships calling at Kiel with green electricity as early as next year.
By 2025, this figure is expected to reach 80 to 90%, before climate neutrality is achieved for all activities of the PORT OF KIEL in 2030 through the interaction of a wide range of measures.
Emissions of nitrogen oxides and particles will also be further reduced by the measures introduced. However, these are already being dissipated in the background pollution today and are well below the applicable limit values.
Dirk Scheelje, chairman of the PORT OF KIEL supervisory board and member of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen council faction, said:
With the presentation of the environmental report, emissions are quantified and thus transparent for the first time. It shows that the BLUE PORT strategy initiated in 2018 is having an effect. We will also assess further progress on this basis
Measures to supply all port facilities with 100% cent climate-neutral green electricity have already been implemented.
In addition, the energy demand at the terminals has been sustainably reduced by switching to economical LED technology and increasing energy efficiency, while at the same time photovoltaic systems provide around 290,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy every year.
On-shore power is also a key element in reducing emissions in Kiel. After a first system for shore-side power supply was connected to the grid at Norwegenkai in May 2019, a second, larger system was commissioned at Ostseekai in June this year.
We have created the infrastructural basis so that ferries and cruise ships can berth in the city port without emissions. In the coming year, we want to handle 60 to 80 cruise calls at the Ostseekai in a climate-neutral manner and are starting with the construction of an on-shore power plant for the Ostuferhafen as well
explained Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director, Port of Kiel.
In order to make the processes at the freight terminals even more efficient at the same time, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is funding the establishment of a digital test field in the port.
Operational processes will be optimised and made more sustainable on the basis of a 5G campus network. In this way, climate-neutral growth in port handling is to be supported by innovative IT technology.
Individual measures of the Port of Kiel to reduce emissions include the following:
- On-shore power supply at Ostseekai, Schwedenkai, Norwegenkai and in future Ostuferhafen
- Purchase of green electricity from exclusively renewable, climate-neutral sources
- Electrification of the vehicle fleet including industrial trucks
- Alternative energy generation through operation of own photovoltaic systems
- Conversion to LED lighting technology on all terminal facilities
- Increased efficiency of operational processes through digitalisation
- Compensation of business flights via Atmosfair
- Tariff-based environmental discount as an incentive for climate-friendly transformation
