Kick-off meeting of the European energy efficiency project SEA TERMINALS

Dec 11 2014

Kick-off meeting of the European energy efficiency project SEA TERMINALS

The kick-off meeting of the “Smart, Energy Efficient and Adaptive Port Terminals – SEA TERMINALS” project took place this past 10 December in Valencia (Spain). The project is co-financed by the European Union (EU) through the Ten-T Programme and counts on the coordination of the Valenciaport Foundation.

The principal objective of the SEA TERMINALS project is to hasten the transition of the port industry towards more efficient operational models integrating the variable of energy as a key factor to improve PCTs. The project begins by taking into account the lessons learned in the GREENCRANES project whose results have shown that the efficient management of energy use and that the use of alternative fuels is viable and can generate significant benefits at all levels in PCTs.

The meeting started with a presentation of the project given by José Andrés Giménez, R&D Project Manager of the Valenciaport Foundation. This was followed by several presentations given by the various project partners of SEA TERMINALS: the Port Authority of Livorno, Global Service, Percro, Noatum, Amplía Soluciones, Instituto Tecnológico de la Energía, Terberg, NACCO / Hyster and EDAE.

The specific objectives of SEATERMINALS are:

  • The development of a series of eco-efficient alternatives that are viable from a technical, environmental and financial perspective – to this effect SEA TERMINALS proposes to introduce purely electrical (100% electrical terminal tractor) and hybrid (hybrid RTG) equipment, as well as to develop prototypes based on the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an energy source.

  • The development of a real-time operational management model that minimises existing bottlenecks in the operations of terminals by assigning different operational modes (eco, turbo, standby, etc…) to the equipment involved – this platform, termed the SEAMS Platform, will be capable of receiving live information from equipment and from the terminal operating system (TOS), calculating thereby the best mode of operation for each type of equipment at any given moment.

  • The development of prototypes of equipment propelled by electricity and LNG, including terminal tractors, reach stackers, empty container handlers and RTG patio cranes – the project will evaluate the performance of all of these prototypes with the SEAMS Platform.

  • Real-life tests in PCTs of the prototypes specified in the project – such tests will take place in the Noatum Container Terminal Valencia (NCTV) in the Port of Valencia and in the Livorno Darsena Toscana terminal in the Port of Livorno – the prototypes to be developed and tested in the project are: 100% electrical terminal tractor (SEA-eTractor), Eco-RTG based on engine downsizing and hybridization (SEA-EcoRTG), Eco-RTG based on duel LNG/diesel fuel (SEA-RTG Dual Fuel), LNG supply station specifically designed for port equipment, o reach stacker SEA-EcoRS) and forklift (SEA-EcoLift) equipped with fuel saving and energy efficiency systems, real-time dynamic lighting system in terminals (SEA-Lightning).

Summarizing, SEATERMINALS is a large scale project that will facilitate the evolution of the European ports towards a low-carbon operative model, demonstrating the feasibility of eco-efficient alternatives through pilot projects carried out at these terminals in real life operations.

The project partners of SEATERMINALS are the Valenciaport Foundation (coordinator), the Port Authority of Valencia; Noatum; Amplía Soluciones, S.L.; Enginyeria d’Aplicacions Energètiques, S.L. (EDAE); Instituto Tecnológico de Energía - ITE; NACCO Materials Handling BV; Terberg Benschop B.V.; Baltic Ports Organization and Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport with the Port Authority of Livorno, Global Service, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (PERCRO) and OLT Offshore LNG Toscana S.p.A., acting as implementing bodies.

Baltic Ports Organization is a Partner of the Project and is in charge of communication and dissemination of information. 

Within the lifetime of the project two events are foreseen to take place within the Baltic Sea Region. The Seminars/Workshops will most likely take place in a local port terminal in order to demonstrate and promote the usage of a LNG fuelled vehicle prototypes. In addition, the workshop could underline the energy efficiency of the promoted prototypes and the usage of LNG as a fuel for port related vehicles.

The second open seminar will be organised by the Baltic Ports Organization and will involve Project Partners’ representatives, and regional relevant LNG stakeholders. The seminar is foreseen to be dedicated to the distribution of the technical aspects, final findings and conclusions of the SEA TERMINALS project. 

More Information:
Marina Sáez Prado - Fundación Valenciaport
Tel. +34 963 939 400
msaez@fundacion.valenciaport.com