The Saudi Ports Authority has announced cutbacks in crane activity and truck turnaround times at Jeddah Islamic Port in line with its annual target of lowering carbon footprint at the Kingdom’s busiest port by 1,046 tons in 2023.

Complementing the goals of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS), the Jeddah port’s decarbonization efforts form part of Mawani’s Green Ports initiative that seeks to slash energy consumption by 15% through equipment electrification and diesel phaseout across the Kingdom’s trade hubs.

Through a 33% decrease in average yard crane moves for every imported container that requires manual inspection as well as a 17% reduction in truck turnaround times, the port further solidifies its standing as a cost-competitive and operationally-efficient logistics destination at the crossroads of East-West trade.

The national maritime regulator’s environmental strategies are inspired by the Saudi Green Initiative, a national climate action plan that aims to unite the Kingdom’s push towards ecological protection, energy transition, and emissions reductions through a joint collaborative approach between the public and private sectors.

The Red Sea based hub had recently bagged the Port of The Year award at the Green Shipping Summit 2023 that was held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands for its successful track record in harnessing innovative and sustainable technologies and solutions for a greener tomorrow.

Mawani has been keen on transforming the Saudi ports into investment platforms and facilitating the Kingdom’s trade with the rest of the world. The Authority seeks to achieve an effective regulatory and commercial environment supported by an operating model that enables growth and innovation in the Kingdom’s maritime industry.

It also envisions developing a sustainable and prosperous ports sector to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a leading global logistics hub. Mawani strives to realize Saudi Arabia’s economic and social ambitions by ensuring reliable and efficient logistics operations, as well as creating a safe and sustainable maritime environment.

Port of Oakland officials joined a delegation of California policymakers, decisionmakers and business executives, led by California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and Dee Dee Myers, Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, on a trade mission to Japan last week. The group exchanged ideas about tackling climate change, clean energy economies, and creating new investment and trade opportunities.

“We enjoyed the exchange of information, technology and best practices that will complement our efforts to create a zero-emissions port in Oakland,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan.

As the Port of Oakland moves towards its goal of reducing and eliminating polluting emissions, Japan’s use of hydrogen technology is of particular interest to Executive Director Wan and other Port representatives.

“More than one hundred projects are looking at zero emissions in maritime shipping worldwide,” says Wan. “Nearly half of these initiatives focus on hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel source.”

The week-long trip included various forums on climate collaboration and trade and investment opportunities as well as visits to the Port of Kobe hydrogen terminal, and energy innovation companies like Panasonic, Toyota and the Fujimi Waste-to-Energy Plant.

Events included the California-Japan Climate Summit, California Trade and Investment Forum, a visit to the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (AmCham), and Smart Energy Week exhibition. California agricultural producers, many of whom ship their products through the Port of Oakland to Japan, held a reception showcasing California-grown products.

Japan and California have shared a long-lasting bond. The Port of Oakland and the Bay Area have long served as a gateway connecting Japan and the United States. Plus, the Port of Oakland has a sister-city relationship with the City of Fukuoka, Japan.

Japan and the State of California last year signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to address climate change and promote cooperation in trade and investment.

Japan, as a key trade partner, is the number one destination for cargo that leaves the Oakland Seaport, accounting for 17 percent of exports from the Port of Oakland.

The goal of this mission was to collaborate for building a sustainable future and strengthening business ties.

Three major groups are joining forces to fight climate change and launch the European Clean Transport Network Alliance (ECTN Alliance), a concrete solution to decarbonize road freight transport.

Mobilizing the expertise of its founding members—CEVA Logistics, ENGIE and SANEF—the ECTN Alliance envisions building and operating a network of truck terminals with low-carbon energy solutions to transport merchandise along Europe’s motorways. The disruptive system will be tailored to electric trucks’ limited range and charging requirements.

Long term, the terminal network will be open to all shippers and carriers, offering simple access to low-carbon biogas, hydrogen and electric energy solutions for charging and refueling trucks. Strategically placed on European motorways, the network will include a specific IT solution to enable transport companies to plan their routes and charging schedules in the fastest and most carbon-efficient way.

In addition, the concept aims at improving working conditions for long-haul truck drivers by allowing them to remain closer to their homes, as they will be swapping trailers at each terminal before turning back. ECTN’s solution will ultimately make the trucking industry more attractive and help alleviate the European truck driver crisis.

The Alliance will conduct a proof of concept (POC) in 2023 between the Lille and Avignon metropolitan areas in France to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept before deploying it on a European scale.

The two-year proof of concept will start in 2023 to demonstrate the ECTN model’s effects on long-distance road haulage. A dedicated fleet of 20 low-carbon tractor units (a mix of biogas, electric and green hydrogen) will transport 20 trailers each day between the north and southeast of France, relaying and changing trailers at five test sites located at existing CEVA Logistics locations.

Local carriers will carry out the pre- and post-carriage transport to and from the test sites. The POC is expected to provide a rich database for an in-depth understanding of low-carbon truck use for long-distance haulage and options for decarbonizing road freight transport in Europe.

Luc Nadal, Regional Managing Director for Europe, CEVA Logistics, said: “ECTN Alliance members strongly believe that private–public alliances have a key role to play in accelerating climate solutions. The ECTN Alliance is based on a pioneering, holistic approach to decarbonizing long-haul trucking. We are proud to launch this bold initiative with best-in-class companies, whose combined expertise will contribute to the success of the project.”