Sustainable Transport and Ports in the Mediterranean

The main objectives of this topic are to reduce emissions by ports and ships and promote the transition towards carbon neutrality of the maritime transport sector in the Mediterranean, while ensuring synergies with the Horizon Europe Co-Programmed Partnership on Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport.^[1]

This topic aims at contributing to the Goal 2 “A smart and resilient blue economy of the strategy” (Priority Sustainable consumption and production: ports and maritime transport) of the WestMED initiative.^[2]

Green shipping, sustainable transport and alternative fuels are high on the agenda of WestMED stakeholders. Several actions to tackle these issues have been identified by a dedicated technical group created within the WestMed Initiative in 2020.

Moreover, the UfM Ministerial Declaration on the Sustainable Blue Economy pays special attention to sustainable, climate-neutral and zero-pollution maritime transport and port. It calls for strengthening expertise and boosting investments in infrastructure taking duly into account the specific needs and priorities of Mediterranean countries; and to actively cooperate and participate in the implementation of joint projects in the provision of clean energy and technology.

Proposals should focus on one of the following themes:

1. Monitoring and technology foresight on green shipping in the Mediterranean, including energy consumption, technological chains in maritime alternative fuels, and practices and opportunities for strategic development of infrastructures to boost sustainable sources for green shipping;
2. Promotion of energy communities in ports of the Mediterranean, e.g. by supporting/anticipating the transition to LNG, or from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels/technologies, including green hydrogen, electrification, wind, etc.;
3. Promote commercial vessels (including local small-scale ferries and service vessels) and fishing boats transition to LNG, or from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels-propulsion/technologies (green hydrogen, electrification, wind).

Activities that can be funded:

Selected projects should carry out to the maximum extent possible the indicative (not exhaustive) activities listed below:

Building on the above priorities/themes the main activities that can be funded are divided in three areas:

1. Monitoring and technology foresight on green shipping in the Mediterranean, including for example:

• Assessment of green shipping challenges and potentials at a regional level;
• Economic, financial, environmental and technological assessment and methodological issues, also based on the results of EU funded projects (state of the art, challenges, potentials);
• Market analysis and supply chain mapping;
• Localisation and sizing of facilities and infrastructures (assess development potentials) and challenges, including impact and management of pandemic crises in ports (i.e. health protocols);
• Assessment at Regional and National level (especially in North African countries);
• Monitoring of emissions (GHG, sulphur and particle matter, etc.);
• Assessment of projected demand from ships for (sustainable) energy in the Mediterranean;
• SWOT analysis of a full sustainable energy transition, including an evaluation of the demand for sustainable energy and the driving factors for attracting investors in the region.

2. Promoting energy communities in ports of the Mediterranean, e.g. by supporting/anticipating the transition from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels/technologies (e.g. green hydrogen, electrification, wind, etc.), including for example;

• Assess the state-of-art of EU and non-EU projects dealing with relevant information of ports that could help build Energy Communities;
• Identify which local stakeholders (businesses, agencies, private operators) could have suitable port data/technologies – as a basis to further engagement and involvement with them;
• Understand the governance structures under which ports are organised (public lease of land to private operators);
• Share data on potential energy consumption per port;
• Discussion of potentials of sharing of real time data (monitoring of the efficiency);
• Carry out baseline study of current/future regulation of energy usage across (participating) countries;
• Set-up of “Living Labs” for Pilot Ports, intended as structured multi-stakeholder groups aimed at discussing the specific patterns, challenges and opportunities related to sustainable energy supply and consumption, including overall legal/policy framework;
• Setting-up concrete micro action-plans towards the piloting and establishment of Energy Communities in each port involved;
• Coordinating pilot actions to test the feasibility of such plans and sharing results throughout the project implementation across the various ports and beyond.

3. Promoting commercial vessels (including local small-scale ferries and service vessels) and fishing boats transition from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels-propulsion/technologies (green hydrogen, electrification, wind), including for example:

• Assessment of adaptation costs for greening local infrastructures and vessels and gain their transition to fully sustainable sources of fuel and other energy/propulsion means;
• Analysis of alternatives and which financial tools could be used towards decarbonisation;
• Analysis of what operators are looking for and what are the available alternatives of fuels for operators;
• Assess the options for energy investments, addressing the need for short-term investments and cost structure for adaptation (towards a clear strategy for sustainable fuel bunkering);
• Study on regulatory aspects building on current consultations, aimed at the support of fleet transition (particularly south);
• Capitalise on experiences/models being developed in EU ports/shipping companies.

Applicants will describe in their proposal the concrete and measurable results within the duration of the project and their expected impact, including indicators for the monitoring and measurement of progress.

Projects are expected to achieve the following impacts to the maximum extent possible in line with the proposed activities:

• Full mapping of needs and capacities across the two shores of the Mediterranean with a systemic view of maritime transport (multimodal network, logistic systems, bunkering, energy efficiency and renewable energy production potential, etc.);
• Setting the basis for the creation of energy communities aiming to achieve carbon neutrality in Mediterranean ports;
• Establishment of an observatory on technologies and sources to be used for green shipping (e.g. methanol, ammoniac, green hydrogen and related technologies, including electrification), including monitoring of most advanced practices (technological, infrastructural, managerial, etc.);
• Training capacity, technical and managerial skills on Sustainable Maritime Transport and Energy Efficiency in shipping fostered across the Mediterranean, both in the north and south;
• Harmonization and standardisation of technologies and regulations, as well as sharing of knowledge, good practices and capacity across the region.

The above list of expected impacts is non-exhaustive and applicants may add others if deemed relevant to achieve the objectives of this topic.

[1]https://www.waterborne.eu/partnership/partnership

[2]Initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the western Mediterranean (SWD(2017) 130 final)