HTC Study: Reduction of CO2 emissions by trucks in the Port of Hamburg
The study by Hanseatic Transport Consultancy (HTC) identifies almost 30 local and international measures that can lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions in the Port of Hamburg. The study forms 12 clusters that are based on focal points under consideration of the potential impact, complexity, and feasibility. HTC sees the greatest potential in the expansion of the supply infrastructure for alternative fuels in the Port of Hamburg (“Support Service Infrastructure”) and an optimization of the control processes along the goods handling (“Process Consolidation”). A uniform “Emission Reduction Strategy” for all activities carried out in the Port of Hamburg and the “Sustainable Driving” cluster also offer great opportunities for improvement. The findings will now be compared and merged with those of the local studies from other countries.
Around 35,000 tons per year – that is the amount of CO2 emissions that, according to current estimates, are emitted annually by truck traffic in the Port of Hamburg. To achieve the ambitious goal of climate neutrality in the Port of Hamburg by 2050, intelligent and innovative approaches and measures are required that do not lose sight of the interests of the economic players involved.
HTC sees the greatest potential for saving CO2 emissions through truck traffic in the clusters “Support Service Infrastructure” – i.e. the expansion of the supply infrastructure for alternative fuels in the Port of Hamburg (LNG, Hydrogen, etc.) and a “Process Consolidation” – optimizing the control processes along the goods handling. But also, a uniform “Emission Reduction Strategy” for all activities carried out in the Port of Hamburg and last but not least the “Sustainable Driving” cluster, e.g. driver training, show great potential. All four clusters are geared towards future developments and offer furthermore individual advantages for the Port of Hamburg as a business location. Particularly noteworthy is also that HTC not only evaluates each cluster of measures according to possible CO2 emission saving potentials in relation to time and financial expenditure, but especially regarding their feasibility and potential for the Port of Hamburg.
„With the present study, Smooth Ports is taking a big step towards lower CO2 emissions through preventable truck traffic in the Port of Hamburg area,” says Alena Werner, HTC project manager and co-author of the study.
The study is part of the Interreg Europe SMOOTH PORTS project. The Ministry of Economy and Innovation, together with its stakeholders in Hamburg and through the exchange of experience with the project partners from France, Italy, and Bulgaria, is looking for solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from truck traffic in port areas. The Ministry for Economy and Innovation commissioned a study at the beginning of the year within the framework of the SMOOTH PORTS project, which was completed by HTC at the end of October 2020.
Based on the research carried out, HTC identified close to 30 local and international measures in the presented study. These measures could lead, directly or indirectly, to a sustainable reduction of CO2 emissions induced by truck traffic within the Port of Hamburg area, but also in the downstream Hinterland traffic. The considered measures are either already implemented somewhere or are ideas that are still being discussed or conceptualized. For an extended assessment, the measures were assigned to four categories and 12 clusters respectively according to their focus and then classified according to their potential impact and complexity.
The Ministry of Economy and Innovation will evaluate the study results further and discuss them with the stakeholders from Hamburg as part of the SMOOTH PORTS activities. The next step will be a comparison of findings from the other regional studies by Livorno, Nantes Saint-Nazaire, Monfalcone and Varna. The findings will the be combined into a joint project report.
