Introduction

While in the past, the main drivers were labor and capital, sustainable «Green growth» focuses
on new ideas, innovations transition even in the process of technological development .
Embracing the «Green» development as an economic actuator will benefit the port and port
authorities as it will improve their economic, commercial and operational activities, which also
contribute to the development of the overall economy of the countries involved in the
abovementioned project. Directives of the European Union are directed to the «green»
development of seaports, which implies a special attention to the energy efficiency and
environmental protection. It can be said that the concept of a «green» and sustainable
development are identified as mutual dependence.

Green port concept

The idea of "Green Port" advancement is the integration of the environmentally friendly method
of port activities, operations and management. There are a few different ways to characterize
measures for the establishment of ecological/green seaports:
o Implementing approaches identified with lessening discharges of unsafe
substances into the environment.
o Distinguish the Port as a leader in environmental stewardship and compliance.
o Promote sustainability.
o Employ best accessible innovation to stay away from or decrease ecological
effects.
o Engage and educate the community.
o A suitable seaport landscape design includes trees that absorb noise and pollution.
o Measures include renewable energy use, port operations and activities, recycling
and material reuse.

Evaluation of Environmental Priorities in the European Port Sector in the 1996-2013 Period of
Time
 No. 1996 2004 2009 2013
1 Port Port waste Noise Air quality
development
(water)
2 Quality of water Dredging Air quality Port waste
operations
3 Dredging Dredging Seaport waste Energy
operations consumption
4 Dredging Dust Dredging Noise
operations operations
5 Dust Noise Dredging Waste from the
operations ship
6 Port Air quality Relations with Relations with
development – the local the local
landside community community
7 Landside Danger cargo Energy use Dredging
pollution operations
8 Habitat Storage Dust Dust
degradation
9 Amount of Port Port Port
traffic development – development – development –
landside water landside
10 Industrial Discharge of Port Quality of water
wastewater ship’s bilges development –
landside

The process of introducing “green” port development requirements

1. Management and coordination

These standards aim to ensure the proper implementation of the action plan outlined in
the master plan for the development of the so-called "green port" idea. So, the process in
this point will be :
 Project management.
 Communication and dissemination.
 Strategic impact assessment.
2. Environmental protection planning
In order to achieve the objectives related to the "green port" development concept, the
need for proper planning activities is most important. In other words, there is a need to
introduce quality management planning systems in seaports, the basis of which is the
implementation of the ports environmental strategic assessment with an extraordinary
spotlight on waste management and the pollution opportunities that arise from the
activities of the seaports and ships. So, the process in this point will be :
 Implementation guidelines:
 Study.
 Used terms definition.
 Development strategy.
 Strategic impact assessment:
 Key performance assessment.
 Stakeholders involvement events.
 Reports.
 Guidelines.
3. Waste management Master Plan
The aim of these standards is to build up an all-inclusive strategy for waste management,
which will summarize the issues at the international level and solve the problems related
to waste management in the seaports and the surrounding areas. The master plan will also
define and provide unique and effective solutions related to environmental efficiency in
seaports and surrounding areas. The Master is the main device for accomplishing the
previously mentioned objectives , because in implementing the so-called “green port”
development model, special attention will be given to the following issues:
 Oil from vessels.
 Bilge water from vessels.
 Waste from vessels.
 Wastewater from sewage.
 Ballast water.
 Pollution caused by vessel paints repair.
  Waste related to the maintenance of the port infrastructure and superstructure .
 Contaminated material from dredging.

So, the process in this point will be :

 Defining waste types.
 Management of situations spills.
 Wastewater management.
 Ballast water.

4. Training in emergency situations and procurement of equipment for environmental

protection:
 Education training program.
 Capacity strengthen.
 Networking.

Factors considered in Green port strategy

1. Reduce Air pollution:

The ports must reduce the pollutant emissions which are caused by their operation
activities. The first step is to fully comply with the existing regulations, national,
international and European, and then, to apply stricter environmental strategies within the
ports. The next step is to adopt good practices that have been proven to be effective and
strengthen the environmental policies in the ports.

2. Reduce energy consumption:

There is significant energy consumption from the light at terminals, offices (computers,
and other devices that, even in the “stand by” mode, consume energy) and the heating/
cooling devices and lighting used in the whole port’s infrastructure. A Green Port should
enforce energy efficiency policies in order to reduce the energy consumption. New
strategies should be planned and implemented, based on new forms of energy and,
 mostly, on the renewable ones (especially solar and wind). These strategies must focus on
the installation, maintenance, usage and storage of renewable and ecofriendly forms of
energy.

3. Reduce noise pollution:

Another environmental factor that disturbs the ecological balance is the noise produced
within the port areas, due to their operation, the vehicle and ship traffic. Noise pollution is
pointed out as the current top environmental priority by the European port sector. The
European Noise Directive is one of the main triggering factors for the high priority on
noise within the port's environmental agenda. Green ports should draw their own policy
or strategy by conducting noise abatement studies, issue policies regulating the
activation of sirens, horns, vehicle warning "beepers", and other sources of noise from
port. Ports should determine effective source mitigation measures by carrying out
technical sound measurements at a defined distance to the equipment, by an acoustic
expert, in order to measure the states of the main operations, such as lifting, lowering,
driving, and idling and to calculate, both the sound level of the equipment, and the
operation state with the main influence.

4. Improve water quality:

Green ports plan projects to protect and improve the water quality by managing the
activities that can cause water pollution. Major sea pollutants are ship wastes and
leakages, in case of accidents or bad services of ships, and infrastructure inside the
periphery of the port. A fine method to improve the water quality is by installing sensors
that will inform the authorities in real time about the pollution risk and enable them to
take the right measures without wasting any time.

5. Improve weather monitoring:

Another important issue that is not considered are the extreme weather conditions. In
general, the weather conditions (among others, temperature, humidity, wind direction and
intensity) play a crucial role in the port activities, because they can affect the labor
productivity, the visibility at the terminals and in mooring procedures, the instantaneous
air pollution in the port area.
6. Ecosystem monitoring:
A green port needs to conduct periodical analytical environmental studies about the
surrounding natural ecosystem, taking account of the necessary initiatives to balance the
port activities and the conservation of flora and fauna of the ecosystem. If the ecosystem
is damaged, the ports must plan restoration programs that will contribute to the
rehabilitation of the area and protect the ecosystem. The phenomenon of the disturbance
of wildlife and marine life is reflected by the quality of the port aquarium, the air quality,
as well as the noise and light pollution. Any measure enforced to eliminate these
problems interacts, in a positive way, to strengthen the balance of the ecosystem in and
around the ports.

7. Reduce soil and sediment pollution:

Soil and sediments in ports have been contaminated by past industrial uses, illegal
dumping, oil production and pollution entering the harbor through storm drains and
rivers. The ports must manage any polluted material or source on land and in harbor
sediments, to protect site workers, the port community and the environment, and to
ensure that the pollution is not simply shifted elsewhere. The ports should make the
necessary studies to plan the removal of the identified contamination in the ports’ land
and sediments. This plan should include monitoring the contaminated ground water at
site around the port to ensure that it will not migrate to harbor waters. Moreover, they
should conduct preconstruction surveys of land, sediments, and building, so as to identify
any hazardous waste and manage it appropriately.

8. Geographic Information Systems (GIS):

These systems are ideal for environmental monitoring, because they allow the implementation
and integration of many different data sources and their automatic spatial analysis and modeling.
More specifically, GIS applications are continuously developing for monitoring, analysis and
modeling spatiotemporal changes of many parameters and phenomena, such as air pollution,
coastlines, land use and many others, integrating different data and techniques with reliable
results. In recent years, GIS applications for monitoring causes and results of environmental
changes, use remotely sensed data from polar-orbiting satellite sensors, improving the analysis
and giving new perspectives to the environmental monitoring and modeling.

Example for a green port

Port of Portland
With an objective of diminishing ozone depleting substances by 15 percent by 2020
contrasted with 1990 levels, and diesel divisions by 75 percent by 2020 contrasted with
2000 levels, the Port of Portland has implemented a range of sustainability initiatives. In
2012 the port started supplanting the Oregon motor from the 1960s with a more
productive current motor; The venture was finished in 2013. From that point forward, the
boat's diesel particulate emanations have diminished by 88 percent .
The Port of Portland has also purchased certified renewable energy credits for 100
percent of its electricity consumption and has invested in new energy efficient LED
lighting for maintenance facilities, marine terminals, and roads, as well as parking lots.
Additionally, the Port of Portland has installed 35 acres of porous piers at one of its
terminals. Aside from increasing vehicle storage space, the pavement also infiltrates 100
percent of storm water below the site's surface to naturally break down pollutants.

OTHER GREEN INITIATIVES:

o Installed meters to track energy cost savings.
o Monitoring invasive aquatic species, such as zebra mussels, in the Columbia
River, through partnership with state agencies and the Oregon Invasive Species
Board.
 o Reducing emissions: Since 2009, the port has reduced greenhouse gases and
diesel particulate matter by 67 and 73 percent, respectively.
o At any cost: The port has invested $ 3.5 million to improve energy efficiency at
the port level; It also spent $ 5.1 million replacing the Oregon engine.
o Shoreline power has been installed in Terminal 6 for all anchorage locomotives
that can be connected to an electrical grid.

Conclusion
The concept of “Green Port” requires an efficient organization and leadership, coherent policies
and regulations, innovations and a management system of environmental protection, energy
efficiency and sustainable development. Each seaport can adopt a new, “greener” strategy and
upgrade the existing system in order to define steps of the implementation of the model in order
to minimize and eliminate the potential consequences of operational and illegal discharges of
waste material.
Finally, the introduction of the concept of “Green Port” development is not only the protection of
the environment but also the adoption of the concept of achieving better working conditions in
the complexity of seaport operations. It provides a clear definition of responsibilities and training
of internal staff, who will work in more environmentally friendly area and with more
environmentally friendly equipment

References

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323780034_Green_Port_Concept_and_Its_Legal_Back
round_An_Investigation_on_Practices_in_Turkey_and_California

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261411896_Green_ports_policy_an_assessment_of_m
ajor_threats_and_main_strategies_in_ports

https://www.greenport.com/news101/americas/portland-debates-over-island-development
https://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/10-greenest-ports-in-america/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330048120_Green_Ports_in_Theory_and_Practice