Launching Greenport Alliances: Pioneering Sustainability in Port Services

Dear GREENPORT Community,

We are excited to present the inaugural newsletter for the Greenport Alliances project, where we aim to augment sustainability in port services.

With a focus on enhancing port services within the context of the European Union’s Green Deal strategy for reducing carbon emissions in the maritime industry, Greenport Alliances is committed to designing training programmes that encourage environmentally responsible practices. These programmes are tailored to meet the needs of work boats such as tugboats, pilot boats, and their respective personnel, with the overarching objective of fostering a culture of sustainability throughout port and maritime operations.

PROJECT KICK-OFF & STAKEHOLDER CONFERENCE

The first 3 months of the project have included significant milestones. In the initial phase of the Greenport Alliances project, our consortium successfully launched the initiative, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, industry, and research sectors.

The kick-off meeting and stakeholders conference were held on the 28th-29th February 2024 in Tuzla, Istanbul, hosted by the project coordinator Università Piri Reis. Key roles and commitments of project partners for the 36-month duration of the project were outlined. Representatives from various Turkish maritime entities actively participated, sharing insights on reducing carbon emissions in the sector.

Take a look at our kick-off meeting and conference!

SURVEY FOR THE TOWAGE INDUSTRY & LOOKING AHEAD

Currently, the European Tugowners Association is coordinating a comprehensive needs analysis and data gathering survey to assess the current state of port services emissions in Europe and evaluate the existing educational offerings in sustainability. Key partners in the administration of these surveys are EMPA, APA, and MAR.TE. This research aims to provide valuable insights to guide the project’s curriculum development efforts.

Three surveys will be carried out for the towage industry, pilots, and ports respectively. If you are a towage industry representative and would like to contribute to our needs analysis, you can find the survey for the towage industry here or below. The port survey and the pilot survey will be issued imminently.

Looking ahead, the Greenport Alliances project is set to embark on several key activities in the coming months. We will focus on defining and developing the structure, methodologies, and content for the educational curricula across three learning streams: integration of course content within existing HEI programmes, creation of a short vocational course for port service personnel, and the development of an eLearning train-the-trainer course for educators. These curricula will undergo piloting to assess their effectiveness and relevance. Furthermore, we will design and implement a comprehensive evaluation framework to measure the impact of the learning streams.

International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards (ITS)

In the coming weeks, ETA Secretary General, Anna Maria Darmanin will participate in the 27th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards in Dubai as a panellist. She will present the goals that Greenport Alliances intends to reach, the actions it will carry out for that end and disseminate information on the project among the participants. ITS, organised by Riviera Maritime Media, is one of the largest global events that brings the towage and salvage industry together. Find out more about the event here.