The three-step plan, which was unveiled on 24 November 2021
alongside the first presentation of the ports environmental report, envisages
covering 60% of the energy requirements for ships calling at Kiel with green
electricity as early as 2022. By 2025, this figure is expected to reach around
80% to 90%, before finally achieving climate neutrality in 2030 through the
introduction of a wide range of measures.
The plan also aims to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides
and particles through these new measures. However, they are already being
dissipated as pollution from the port in the recent periods is well below
applicable limit values.
“We support the climate protection goals of the State
Capital City of Kiel and are taking a pioneering role in terms of CO2
reduction,” said Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director for the Port of Kiel. “The
port will be climate-neutral by the end of this decade.”
The environmental report that was also presented
demonstrated that the port has already avoided more than 6,200 tonnes of CO2 in
2020, while 18,800 tonnes were still emitted.
Dirk Scheelje, Chairman for the Port of Kiel Supervisory
Board and Member of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Council Faction, added “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.”
Energy demand at the port’s terminals has been substantially
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.
One additional element that is key to reducing emissions at
the port is onshore power. The first shore-side power supply was connected to
the grid at Norwegenkai in May 2019, following this, a second and much larger
system was commissioned at Ostseekai in June 2021. This allows vessels to be
regularly supplied with green electricity.
Other measures being implemented at the port to reduce
emissions include:
Electrification of the vehicle fleet, including industrial
trucks
Increased efficiency of operational processes through
digitalisation
Tariff-based environmental discount as an incentive for
climate-friendly transformation