More than 95% of South American exports move through the ports. Therefore, as stated by a report by ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), the energy consumption of port infrastructure is becoming increasingly important for the competitiveness and sustainability of infrastructure services and the activities in the field of transport and logistics.
According to the study, energy consumption at the terminals has increased as a result of the growth in traffic of containers with refrigerated perishables in the ports of South America, especially as a result of the increase in South-South trade. This increased consumption threatens energy security and raises questions regarding the policies for this sector and its costs.
The study notes that, in recent years, the energy consumption of the transport sector in Latin America surpassed the 2,000 million tons of oil equivalent, representing a third of the regional energy grid. Furthermore, the average percentage of energy consumption in this sector increased from 27% of the total in 1990 to 35% in 2010.
The study determined that on average, currently, 70% of the energy used by Latin American ports is generated from fossil fuels and the remaining 30% from electricity. Thus, the industry's trend towards full electrification of port operations should be planned in conjunction with the energy sector.
Port movement
The movement of containers in the region's ports increased from 10.4 million units (TEU) in 1997 to 43 million in 2012. "As a result, the trade of containers with refrigerated goods placed extra pressure to the efficient consumption of energy, besides the energy required for the normal operations of the ports," the study says.
Regional consumption
ECLAC's study presents a comparative analysis of energy consumption in container ports in South America in order to identify the main sources of consumption and establish baselines for the terminals. The research was based on surveys at 13 ports in the Southern Cone, belonging to Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, which corresponds to 70% of all container movement in the Southern Cone.
The report proposes six areas of action in pursuit of energy efficient solutions for ports, so they can improve their competitiveness, increase their energy security and contribute to the fight against climate change.
These areas are: installing monitoring systems to measure energy consumption, clearly identifying their energy sources, developing a plan for energy efficiency and reducing consumption, implementing coordinated measures and energy efficiency strategies, obtaining certificates of energy efficiency and formulating a strategy for sustainable long-term growth that takes into account future energy needs.
To discuss these issues, a group of international experts from the port and energy industry gathered at the ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile, in the Consumption and Energy Efficiency: emerging challenges in reefer trading container terminals in North America South seminar.
Source: laestrella.com.pa