The head of the PAV’s Environment Department and the director of Sustainability at the Valenciaport Foundation participated in a webinar organised by the Franco-Spanish Chamber of Commerce to explain Valenciaport’s leadership in the fight against climate change and decarbonisation
Federico Torres: “The new electric substation is a decisive step for the ships to be connected to the ground network”
Eva Pérez explained the pioneering projects in environmental innovation that place Valenciaport “at the forefront of the commitment to sustainability”
València, June 15th, 2020.- The Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) and the Valenciaport Foundation have explained to businessmen from the Franco-Spanish Chamber of Commerce the actions that the PAV is taking to convert the ports of Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía into self-sufficient and decarbonised energy facilities in order to achieve the goal of zero emissions by 2030. “These actions involve a firm and decisive commitment to the implementation of renewable energies with investments in wind and photovoltaic energy or the construction of a new electricity substation”, highlighted Federico Torres, director of the PAV’s Environment, Safety and Installations Area, who participated together with Eva Pérez, director of Promotion of Innovation and Sustainability of the Valenciaport Foundation in the webinar organised by the Energy and Climate Commission of the Franco-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Valenciaport.
During the opening of the event, Ana Gil, Managing Director of EDF Iberian and coordinator of the Energy and Climate Commission of the Franco-Spanish Chamber said that “one of the main objectives we set ourselves in the recently formed Energy&Climate Commission was to look at the challenges of the Energy Transition as well as to support and promote initiatives that contribute to the goal of decarbonising the economy. The project presented today by the Port of Valencia, to reach zero emissions by 2030, is without a doubt a great commitment to sustainability. It is also an innovative project and constitutes an excellent opportunity to establish collaboration with the companies of the Chamber, which I am sure will be able to contribute their experience and know-how to this ambitious and fantastic project, which we hope will be carried out successfully”.
Along these lines, Federico Torres explained that the PAV is taking the necessary steps to meet this objective. In fact, the Valencian Vice-Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition, has given the go-ahead to this electrical substation that “will allow the engines of the ships to be stopped when they are ready to connect to the network once they have docked in the port, reducing the emission of gases and noise from the ships that operate the port. This project contemplates the installation of two transformers of 30 megawatts each, which will reduce the voltage received as a previous step to reach the terminal docks to allow the connection of the ships to the electrical network.
The head of the Environment, Security and Installations area also recalled the projects to install 3,000 solar panels in the Port of Valencia facilities or the implementation on the roofs of the Port of Gandía to make it the first self-sufficient port. He also referred to the project to install a wind power plant that includes between 5 and 7 wind turbines. These investments are in addition to the plans for supplying LNG to ships or the use of hydrogen in port installations and machinery within the framework of the H2Ports project. In this sense, Eva Perez, director of Promotion of Innovation and Sustainability of the Valenciaport Foundation has highlighted that “the H2Ports initiative to provide hydrogen to port machinery places Valenciaport as the first port in Europe to carry out an action of this type”. It has also highlighted projects such as Green Port to monitor emissions in real time to provide estimates of air quality and the Green Cranes project to adapt cranes to sustainable fuels. “Pioneering initiatives in the field of ports that highlight Valenciaport’s commitment to sustainability in collaboration with the whole port community”, said Eva Pérez, who added that “we are working with companies and shipping companies to contribute to their environmental sustainability, with initiatives such as LNGHIVE2 for Baleària to adapt its ships to be propelled by LNG”.
Eva Pérez highlighted that Valenciaport’s commitment to energy sustainability and decarbonisation is reflected in the choice of Valencia as the location for Superlabs Ports, a project in collaboration with Climate-Kic, a laboratory on climate change in port environments. “Through this initiative we are going to launch aid to three increasingly creative companies that collaborate with port companies to set up initiatives against climate change,” said Eva Pérez.
A commitment that comes from afar
Federico Torres explained that “Valenciaport began in the 90s with active actions for the environment that are reflected in a work that allowed to obtain the main European and Spanish certifications. At the same time, and as a result of improved management, a policy aimed at reducing this footprint was initiated with a series of measures ranging from changes to lighting in the ports to the incorporation of electric cars. In this line, the substitution of fossil fuels by electricity is supported so that all the energy consumed in the Port comes from renewable sources. As a result of these actions, energy consumption between 2008 and 2016 was reduced by 25%, and the carbon footprint in these years fell by 17%”.