Valenciaport leads Smart Port index of Spanish ports

Valenciaport has topped a ‘Smart Port’ index measuring Spanish ports’ digital and environmental operations.

In a statement Valenciaport said the index was part of a study by civil engineering publication CEDEX and evaluated 32 parameters grouped into four categories: economic-operational, social, political-institutional, environmental, to which must be added the degree of digitalisation.

Valenciaport leads the Spanish ranking of intelligent ports with a total score of 299.47 and sits in the top three for every category.

Valenciaport attended a recent Port Technology International webinar on Port Community Systems in ports

In addition to the total score, Valenciaport led the Environment and Social categories, which it attributed to the Port of Valencia’s strategy to cut emissions and increase cooperation with city authorities by using new technologies.

The strategy aims to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2030 and has unveiled an electrical substation that allows for more ships to connect to the network while at berth, a process known as cold ironing.

It also looks to instal new air emission cabins, photovoltaic panels and increase the use of hydrogen across operations.

Valenciaport said it “continues to work on new solutions for safety, protection and emergency management or the continuous improvement and training of workers”.

The Environmental category of the CEDEX report measures the following parameters:

Water quality

Environmental management systems

Sustainable waste management

Automation of air quality assessment

Noise pollution

Renewable energy production

Management of electricity consumption

Fuel use

Water consumption management

Valenciaport was the first Spanish port in this category with 67.73, followed by Huelva (58.44), Tarragona (57.01) Barcelona (52.77), Bilbao (50.64), Vigo (48.57), Cartagena (48.43), Gijón (44.88), Las Palmas (36.33) and Algeciras (31.59).

The Social category of the report measures the parameters:

Workers’ safety

Digitisation of access security

Employee training

Labour inclusion and equality in the workforce

Accessibility to the port for disabled users

Digital customer interaction

Concern for public acceptance

The Port of Valencia led this category with a total score of 82.84, followed by Vigo (77.83), Algeciras (70.24), Barcelona (68.08), Bilbao (61.39), Tarragona (60.27), Gijón (58.10), Huelva (50.10), Las Palmas (38.51) and Cartagena (38.41).

Source: porttechnology.org