The Port of Antwerp is the lead body in a new European Union-funded project called PIONEERS (PORTable Innovation Open Network For Efficiency and Emissions Reduction Solutions) which will showcase a range of projects for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in ports, while safeguarding competitiveness.
This five-year project will commence at the end of 2021 and involves an international consortium of 46 partners. It will receive €25m ($30m) in grant funding from the European Horizon 2020 programme
The PIONEERS consortium includes ports, terminal- and transport operators, forwarders, knowledge institutes, technology developers, innovators and other public bodies.
PIONEERS will examine all aspects of port operations ranging from terminal operations, concession agreements, mobility, connectivity, fuels to models for cooperation and production, storage and use of energy. There will be 19 demonstration projects in the fields of clean energy production and supply (including hydrogen and methanol), energy efficiency, sustainable port design, modal shift and flows optimisation, automation and digital transformation.
Jacques Vandermeiren, Port of Antwerp CEO, said: ‘Port of Antwerp aims to be the first world port that reconciles economy, people and climate. In order to be climate-neutral by 2050, we need to act now. PIONEERS proves how ambitious Port of Antwerp is in pioneering together with a wide stakeholder network to achieve our goal.’
The Port of Antwerp has a stated goal of being the “Green Port of Europe”.
