Port areas emit a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHG). They are also of prime commercial importance. The challenge of decarbonizing ports is one of the key points of the State’s national port strategy and a desire of the managers of these ports. Hydrogen is at the heart of this challenge.
With its four maritime facades (Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Manche and North Sea), metropolitan France is located at the crossroads of the world’s maritime routes, according to the government website Vie Publique. The 66 maritime trade ports generate nearly 350 million tonnes of freight and 32 million passengers per year. The three main ports, Dunkirk, Le Havre-Rouen-Paris (Haropa) and Marseille, record 80% of the traffic of the major ports and 13 billion euros of added value. The major ports live from the diversity of strategic activities:
– International trade and logistics: energy supply (Marseille is the leading hydrocarbon port in France), goods containers (12% of port trafficLe Havre in the lead) and export of cereals (Rouen is the leading cereal port in western Europe, in particular);
– Industry: refining and petrochemicals (in Le Havre and Marseille, for example), shipbuilding, electricity production (thermal power stations), in particular;
– Tourism: cross-Channel traffic (via Calais) represents more than a third of passengers, cruises, whose passengers have increased by almost 70% worldwide in ten years (Marseille is the leading cruise port in France).
Carbon footprint
The carbon footprint of these areas comes mainly from ships, which represent 60% of GHG emissions from ports worldwide. Emissions that have increased by 30% since 1990. GHGs come in particular from maneuvers, loading and unloading of goods. Nearly 50% of the traffic in major French ports today consists of hydrocarbons and coal. In France, port areas must limit their CO emissions2 to comply with national and European decarbonisation objectives, in particular:
– Low-carbon transport by 2050 within the framework of the Paris Agreements and the National Low-Carbon Strategy;
– Reduction of at least 55% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 (with decarbonisation obligation for ports) within the framework of the European “Fit for 55” package and adjustments to the 55 objective (new window);
– Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships by 2% by 2025, 13% by 2035 and 75% by 2050 provided for in the FuelEU Maritime Regulation (new window), adopted by the European Parliament in October 2022.
In addition to the economic recovery objectives (increasing container freight to 80% by 2050, in particular), the 2021 national port strategy (new window) has set an “intermediate course” and a roadmap for carbon neutrality in the next ten years:
– Implementation of innovative economic activities to facilitate the reception of new industrial and logistics customers;
– Creation of an eco-label on logistics and port flows to promote “virtuous logistics chains”;
– Develop an ecological transition trajectory for each port: supply of alternative fuels for ships, electrical connection at the quayside, in particular.
In France, only ports employing more than 250 employees must assess their carbon footprint (even if others nevertheless take it into account in their ecological transition project). But the European Union could put in place a more restrictive energy transition law.
National Port Strategy
The National Port Strategy (NPS) has specified the elements of the transition: supply of alternative fuels for ships, electrical connectiondockside hydrogen production and hydrogen production for the needs of the port industrial ecosystem and small ships and boats.
A meeting bringing together the main managers of French commercial ports and the elected officials concerned as part of the strengthening of the national port strategy was held on Thursday, October 27. Objective: cooperation between the State and local authorities to accelerate the ecological and energy transition of commercial ports.
The discussions focused on the shared interest of the State, port managers and local elected officials for three issues:
– Decarbonization of industry in port areas: commercial ports were the main locations for heavy industries after the war, they must tomorrow be the location for developing projects contributing to the decarbonization of activities. The ability to develop ports to accommodate these activities such as floating wind or green hydrogen was thus highlighted, and therefore the associated need for land;
– The electrification and greening of ports, with the acceleration of the development of electrical connections at the quayside to which the State is already contributing 40 million euros in the major seaports;
– The development of the connection of ports with rail and river transport modes to promote the massification of flows, a source of savings in CO emissions2.
The deployment of this strategy will also involve strengthening the link between ports and their territories. The next follow-up meeting of the National Port Strategy will be held in early 2023 in a port city to materialize this strengthened cooperation between the State and communities.
Hydrogen at the heart of the transition
To achieve this, two main axes: LNG and… hydrogen. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) reduces carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution (particularly fine particles). The State has committed to developing it as a marine fuel in a national orientation plan published in 2016 (new window). Partnerships have been formed with companies for the LNG supply of ports. LNG can also be used for handling machines (transfer of goods). As for hydrogen, it is, for some professionals, the “key” to the decarbonization of maritime transport. Electro-fuels (e-fuels) such as e-methanol or e-ammonia, produced from hydrogen of renewable origin, have a very high “potential for reducing GHG emissions” (greater than 70%, or even 100% in the case of e-ammonia).
Hydrogen advantage
Identified in the sector’s national roadmaps such as the National Port Strategy, several river and maritime ports are now committed to developing pioneering hydrogen projects.
Deployment scenarios
To anchor the port as a “pivotal” territory for the mass production of hydrogen, the France Hydrogène study “Port ecosystems and hydrogen”, carried out in collaboration with seven partner ports, assesses the consumption potential of the different uses by the end of the decade. The volumes identified are considerable: compared to the sector’s objectives of consuming, according to the assumptions used, between (Ambition scenario) 680,000 and (Ambition+ scenario) 1,090,000 tonnes of decarbonized hydrogen by 2030, the partner port areas could represent between 35 and 55% of these objectives, i.e. between 220,000 and 615,000 tonnes respectively. These productions would supply industrial uses as well as port-specific mobility and urban fleets such as community fleets. In the industry segment alone, the activity of ports and especially the Major Maritime Ports represents an opportunity to initiate large-scale hydrogen hubs. Thus, partner ports could represent 40% of industrial hydrogen consumption targeted by the sector by 2030 in the “Ambition” scenario and even 63% for the “Ambition+” scenario.
Whether in terms of industry, mobility or energy, port ecosystems therefore appear to be essential contributors to achieving the objectives of the hydrogen sector. The emergence of large-scale ecosystems would make it possible to densify the hydrogen network in France, for the benefit of an entire territory. For ports, hydrogen not only allows them to enhance the value of their assets (terminals, gas and electricity networks, renewable energy sources, etc.) and to integrate a circular economy, but it also offers an opportunity for economic diversification.
Since not all ports have the same needs or situations, local configurations must be taken into account. If actions and objectives are common, a specific approach per port is essential. ′
