The Port of Antwerp has revealed that it is is one of nine partners, all located in port cities, to sign up to 'e-harbours' a new project that aims to develop a model for making maximum use of renewable energy for transport and electricity consumption.
According to the group, the initiative will receive financial support from the European Union's Interreg North Sea programme and is due to be launched in Antwerp on 14 April.
Other participants in the programme include Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg (Germany), Pure Energy Centre (UK), City of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), City of Malmö (Sweden), Uddevalla Energi (Sweden), Vito (Belgium), Robert Gordon University Aberdeen (UK) and the City of Zaanstad (the Netherlands).
It is hoped that e-harbours will help ports in northwest Europe meet ambitious objectives laid out in the EU's Climate & Energy package, including the reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 20 per cent, and increasing the use of renewable energy by 20 per cent, all by 2020.
'The use of renewable energy in all sorts of industrial processes is undoubtedly the challenge of the 21st century,' Antwerp Port Authority explains. 'Port cities too are confronted with this challenge, as the industrial and logistics activities commonly associated with ports are heavy users of energy.
'A smart approach is needed to reduce energy consumption of traditional forms of energy and obtain more energy from renewable sources.'
