Aided by financial support from the government of Quebec and the Port of Sept-Îles (providing $2m and $2.5m respectively), the “Enviro-Actions” pilot project is now under way. The initiative is led by the Northern Institute for Research in Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (INREST), which has run the environmental monitoring observatory for Sept-Îles bay since 2013. It aims to establish a pro-active environmental management system through controls on air and water quality, and underwater noise. The goal is to enable port zone leaders to take decisions quickly, in order to remain within critical contamination limits.

The Port of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) has unveiled plans to install a shore power system running on 100% certified renewable energy. It will be a world first for a dry bulk port, and the first for cruise ships in the southern hemisphere.

Across the Pacific, the port of San Diego (California, USA) is doubling its shore power capacity for cruise ships.

Finally, in Europe, the port of Bilbao (Spain) is looking to install 30 MW of shore power capacity by 2025 and is investing €51.8 million to achieve it.

The four projects were shortlisted following a public consultation. The aim is to develop cultural amenities and leisure facilities on the Makasiiniranta site, the last area occupied by the old port. Plans have been announced for a museum of architecture and design. The four finalists now have until June to polish up their projects, after which they will be resubmitted for a further public consultation.

Investments into refrigerated containers (Reefers for short) by port operators and logisticians in African countries has been growing exponentially in the last decade. Tangier Medhub (Morocco) started developing its presence as a logistical node in the cold chain since 2014. In 2020, Djibouti (Somalia) received its first reefer from Europe. It also set a good example by signing an agreement with the Netherlands to export fruits and minimizing the risk of delay or rejection of cargo. In 2021, Maersk augmented its reefer stockage capacity in the port of Durban (South Africa).

A factor facilitating the growth of African ports in the cold logistics chain is the reduction of prices of solar panels, which assure 30-60% of the necessary energy to sustain reefers.

The departure point for soldiers in WW2, the Walsh Bay docks and their wool warehouses had been extensively redeveloped as housing, a hotel, and cultural amenities. Dock 2/3 was the last awaiting redevelopment. Theatre companies and the Australian Chamber Orchestra are now based there, completing the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct in this historic part of the Sydney waterfront.