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A new microgrid electricity trading platform in Port of Rotterdam

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4 years ago

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A new microgrid electricity trading platform in Port of Rotterdam. Image: Port of Rotterdam
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The first high-frequency decentralized energy trading platform was successfully piloted at the Port of Rotterdam. Jointly developed by S&P Global Platts and BlockLab, Distro is a new microgrid electricity trading platform that leverages both Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain’s distributed ledger technology.

Under the ongoing trial that commenced in August 2020, commercial energy consumers in the Port of Rotterdam’s iconic innovation dock, where the world’s largest submarines once used to slip off the ramp, used the Distro microgrid trading platform to actively trade renewable energy derived from solar and battery storage, matching demand with intermittent power generation. The results of the trial saw:

• Establishment of dynamic local energy prices that lowered the cost for energy users by 11%, while offering a 14% improvement in revenues for local producers of renewable energy.

• 92% consumption of on-site solar generation, overcoming historic wastages

• 32 commercial energy consumers utilized the fully automated AI trading marketplace to balance local electricity demand and supply

• Battery storage return on investment increased 20%

• 20 million blockchain-validated, cleared and settled transactions

• Once fully scaled across the Port of Rotterdam’s activities, Distro’s transparent market design has shown the potential to support businesses in delivering carbon reduction saving of up to 30 million tonnes

During the trial, the participant buyers and sellers of renewable energy were able to access dynamic local energy prices that reflects their supply and demand balances. The responsiveness of localized prices encourages buyers to consume less when renewable generation is low by holding off until more plentiful supplies are available and in doing so, benefit from lower prices. The unique system builds upon proven practices in commodities and financial market, repackaged for the AI world. The positive results of the pilot validate the technical and commercial potential for Distro to be deployed in other locations around the world.

Nico van Dooren, Director New Business Development & Portfolio, Port of Rotterdam said: “The successful completion of our trial of the Distro new microgrid trading platform is a win-win in encouraging fair and transparent prices as well as cost efficient consumption of renewable energy for our tenants. Balancing local electricity needs with local generation holds the key to unlocking significant grid infrastructure savings. We are excited about the prospects of scaling this solution and the meaningful contribution it can make towards helping The Port of Rotterdam become carbon neutral by 2050.”

The new Distro trading platform was co-developed by S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets and Blocklab Rotterdam, the Port of Rotterdam’s blockchain innovation hub. Distro’s rule based methodology draws on Platts 100 year experience of assessing commodity prices around the world.

“The blending of high frequency AI trading capabilities with the benefits offered by blockchain security is a landmark achievement. Distro brings seamless and tangible benefits of lower prices, improved payback on batteries and solar panels while maximizing the use of renewable energy,” said James Rilett, Head of Innovation, S&P Global Platts. “Market feedback has highlighted the need for a new generation of marketplaces, like Distro, to be at the forefront of addressing climate change by helping power energy transition projects around the world.”

Distro offers users in the Port of Rotterdam robust prices that instantly respond to changes in local supply and demand fundamentals while providing incentives for consuming and storing energy. The platform draws on proven security offered by blockchain smart contracts which uphold market rules, validate transactions and manage identities to ensure reliability and anonymity in the dynamic trading environment. All transactions are immutable and cryptographically verifiable, standing up to industry-level audit requirements.

The platform provides every market participant with an AI enabled ‘energy trading agent’ software tool that learns the user’s energy needs, preferences and behaviors. It analyses billions of data points in real-time, automatically buying and selling energy at the best price for the user. ABN AMRO’s Banking as a Service sandbox provided a seamless banking environment where virtual accounts were attributed to users and executed transfers as instructed by the marketplace.

Janjoost Jullens, Director, BlockLab Rotterdam said: “Working with the Port of Rotterdam and S&P Global Platts forced us to focus on business reality and meeting industry standards. We are very proud we can now equip the emerging decentralized power markets with the tools of professional electricity traders – driving up their returns on renewables and minimizing infrastructure investments needed.”

Traditional power grids have come under increasing strain arising from supply-side volatility and ultimately rising costs as the world transitions towards electrification and addresses renewable energy targets. Decentralization alleviates the need to add expensive power grid infrastructure by aligning local demand with supply on the power distribution network, through incentives for demand response due to shifts in energy usage or battery charge/discharge. As renewable generation can vary second to second, these incentives change in real time.

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Maritime

The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks

Published

8 months ago

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August 11, 2023

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The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks. Image: Port Authority of Valencia
The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks. Image: Port Authority of Valencia
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A new step in the decarbonisation of the Port of Valencia and its firm commitment to be an emission neutral site by 2030. The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) has put out to tender the drafting and execution of the works for the electrical connection to ships for the Transversal Costa-MSC quay. This is the first electrification or Onshore Power Supply (OPS) project to be carried out by Valenciaport in the Valencian precinct.

The APV is thus initiating the procedure for the award of the contract for the drafting and execution of the project for the installation of electrical connections for ships and the maintenance of the same at the Transversal de Costa quay. To this end, Valenciaport has jointly launched the drafting of the construction project, the execution of its works and the maintenance of the installations in the same procedure for an amount of 12,468,626.8 euros (VAT included).

Onshore Power Supply (OPS) electrification infrastructures have been consolidated as a very useful tool for the decarbonisation of ports, as this system avoids the use of auxiliary engines of ships when they are docked in the enclosures. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions – due to the use of electricity that eliminates the consumption of fossil fuels used in these auxiliary engines – and stops the emission of particles and polluting gases.

This OPS initiative in the Port of Valencia will be carried out in parallel with the works on the new electrical substation – a second substation is also planned – which was put out to tender last month with a base budget of around 11 million euros and a completion period of 24 months. This infrastructure will be responsible for supplying green energy to the first OPS electrification project of the Transversal de Costa-MSC quay.

In this regard, Joan Calabuig, president of Valenciaport, stressed that “these are just two examples of real projects in the execution phase that confirm the firm commitment that Valenciaport is making to achieve the goal of being a zero-emissions port by 2030, twenty years ahead of the European Green Pact. It is a commitment to sustainability and to the society of our environment that is supported by initiatives such as the electrification of the docks, the use of hydrogen in port operations, the installation of photovoltaic plants or the commitment to intermodality with the railway. We are committed to sustainable growth that reinforces our position as a port of reference in the Mediterranean”.

Project included in the Next Generation Funds

The joint contracting of the preparation of the project and the execution of the corresponding works in the same procedure is carried out in response to the fact that there are no references in Europe compatible with the ISO/IEC/IEEE 80005 standard and in Spain there is currently no previous experience of OPS projects in operation with the characteristics of the pilot project defined by the Port Authority of Valencia. The combination of the individual components required for this type of installation (transformers, protection cells, disconnectors, frequency converters, etc.) with infrastructures for supplying electricity to ships requires specific projects, with technically complex solutions that have to be designed specifically for each location. In addition, and given that the execution of the construction project is subsidised by the European Union’s Next Generation funds and the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, the joint tender is the only way to meet the established deadlines, since if two separate contracts were launched, the one for the execution of the construction project could not be launched until the one for the drafting of the construction project had been awarded, which would mean that the work would be completed beyond the deadline for the execution of the works to meet the target set by Europe.

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Environment

MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation

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8 months ago

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August 9, 2023

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MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation. Image: Pixabay
MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation. Image: Pixabay
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The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation GCMD and MOL announced the signing of a five-year Impact Partnership agreement. On the same day, both parties held a signing ceremony at the GCMD office in Singapore.

Decarbonisation in the maritime industry is a challenge that needs to be achieved through accelerating collaboration and increasing investment by shipping companies, their customers, ports, energy suppliers and public sector actors. As an Impact Partner of GCMD, MOL will utilise its expertise developed over their long history and make various contributions and collaborations through its participation in GCMD’s projects, including providing access to vessels, operating data and evaluation reports so that internal learnings can be shared publicly and used for future trials.

MOL is one of the world’s leaders in the maritime industry and has been leading worldwide discussions on achieving decarbonisation. The carbon budget concept imposes a ceiling to the cumulative amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that can be emitted globally in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius by 2050. Intermediate targets to reduce emissions, in addition to a net-zero target, are necessary. While plans are in place to adopt low or zero emissions vessels in the future, it is important to deploy measures to reduce emissions now. Such measures include the use of low-carbon and transition fuels that are available today, and deploying energy savings devices onboard vessels. MOL will bring its extensive capabilities and experience to bear as it joins GCMD and existing partners to accelerate international shipping’s decarbonisation.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, said: “We are proud to have MOL, one of the leading shipowners in Japan, come onboard as an Impact Partner. We are excited to tap on MOL’s track record in developing technical energy efficiency measures to broaden our perspective as we scope an initiative to help increase industry adoption of measures that can increase fuel efficiency of ships.”

Toshiaki Tanaka, Representative Director, Executive Vice President Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of MOL, said: “We are very pleased to be a partner of one of the most important global coalitions. We will make our biggest effort to contribute and accelerate progress towards the net zero future in maritime industry, together with GCMD and all its partners.”

About the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) was set up on 1 August 2021 as a non-profit organisation. Our strategic partners include the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), BHP, BW Group, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Foundation Det Norske Veritas, Ocean Network Express, Seatrium, bp, Hapag-Lloyd and NYK. Beyond the strategic partners, GCMD has brought on board 15 partners that engage at the centre level, in addition to more than 80 partners that engage at the project level.

Strategically located in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub and second largest container port, GCMD aims to help the industry eliminate GHG emissions by shaping standards for future fuels, piloting low-carbon solutions in an end-to-end manner under real-world operations conditions, financing first-of-a-kind projects, and fostering collaboration across sectors.

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Container Shipping Lines

Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India

Published

8 months ago

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August 9, 2023

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Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
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Aiming to further enhance service quality and gain a stronger foothold in the Indian sub-continent, Wan Hai Lines has established its India new office in Kolkata in July 2023. Contact details for the new office are as follows: WAN HAI LINES (INDIA) PVT. LTD 3rd Floor, Block C, Apeejay House, 15 Park Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700016 TEL: 91-33-4450 4500 According to the 2023 Foreign Trade Policy announced by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s export trade volume will reach 2 trillion US dollars in 2030.

Therefore, benefiting from government policy incentives and the shifting trend of the global supply chain, India’s status in global manufacturing and international trade is increasing, which is conducive to maintaining long-term high economic growth. And the proportion of global exports has increased significantly. In addition, the continuous economic stimulus policy will help revitalize the domestic economy, and domestic demand is expected to increase significantly. Therefore, Wan Hai is optimistic about India’s future import and export situation. And also through the establishment of a new office to improve the overall operating efficiency.

Wan Hai India Kolkata office held a grand opening reception in the evening of 27th July. During the banquet, there were many important customers & guests. The Kolkata Port Authority, Kolkata terminal operators, feeder operators and important local customers were invited to send representatives to attend the meeting to express their blessings to Wan Hai’s opening of the Kolkata market. At present, Wan Hai has six owned offices in India, namely Mumbai, Chennai, Mundra, and Vizag, Delhi and the sixth office Kolkata office. In addition to directly providing river port services, it will also simultaneously strengthen service links between India and neighboring countries, such as Nepal and Bhutan. It is expected to pursue customer first through continuous expansion in the future and sustainable business philosophy.

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