With congestion in global supply chains exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, some ports are looking to new technologies for answers. 
The port authority of Valparaiso (Chile) is aiming to reduce logjams on the “Ruta La Pólvora” by more than 630 hours using an AI-based platform dubbed “StreetFlow”. In Europe, the port of Seville (Spain) has just unveiled its digitisation plan, with the port authority set to invest some €8 million by 2026. The plan includes nine targets and 49 proposals for projects aimed at boosting competitiveness and logistical connectivity. Finally, in Singapore, the port is entering a new phase of its $14 million project aimed at making it the world’s largest automated port by 2040.

The €21 million project launched in 2019 was officially completed with a ceremony held on 21 June. The gaps in this 1.3 km long pier have been filled in, and the protective armouring, pierhead, and green lighthouse at the southern end have been rebuilt.
The renovation also features a number of environmental measures, implemented with the help of two AIVP members: Suez and ECOncrete. The roadstead pier now houses an eco-designed pilot project to restore cystoseira algae using patented CYSTORE® processes and artificial “Tidepools” created by ECOncrete®. These pools and embankments will be monitored over a period of years in partnership with IFREMER, to assess their colonisation by local species. 

Last week, Port Vauban in Antibes and the port of Bahia Blanca both embarked on art projects. To raise public awareness about their activities, the port authorities have focused on images as a medium for making their projects visible to a wider audience. In Antibes, the company Ecocéan and the sculptor Steve Chaudanson have set themselves the challenge of designing a huge, 12 metre long steel megalodon. While in Bahia Blanca, the port has launched a photography contest and a literary competition, to write the story of its heritage and landscapes.

As part of the 3FM project, the Port of Dublin has launched a consultation to help gain approval for its plan to expand the port’s terminals. The project will enable the port to meet the capacity targets adopted in its master plan for 2040.  The virtual exhibition will present the project to the public and promote awareness of Dublin’s maritime culture. It will feature the development plans, and explain the various logistical and environmental aspects. 

A master plan is currently being put together with the help of the firm Royal Haskoning to kick-start the transformation of Albania’s main port.  The industrial installations presently located in the city centre could be moved to a new site some 9 km to the north, in Porto Romano. The new industrial and container port will be built in line with “Green Port” environmental and social standards. In addition, the old port of Dürres will be reconfigured to create a waterfront area for tourism, including a marina. The aim is to improve quality of life for local residents and make the city more attractive.