The Métropole Rouen Normandie (France) has installed artificial nurseries with the help of Ecocéan, who has installed “Biohuts” in several European ports already. Rouen has chosen to install these to help rehabilitate the ecosystem and ecological functions in the marina basin. Due to the artificialization of the marina, native species (eel, trout, pike, etc) have disappeared from the basin. There is almost no vegetation or shelter in which young fish can hide from predators, leading to a degraded ecosystem. This 20.000-euro project will be monitored over the next few years to see how the “Biohuts” help restore the ecosystem.      

Currently, some 20% of the world’s green hydrogen projects are based in Spain. Energy firm CEPSA will export the alternative fuel from the port of Algeciras (Spain) to the port of Rotterdam (Netherlands). In addition, the Spanish government and the Junta de Andalucia have signed an investment deal with CEPSA worth €3 billion. The plan will create a “hydrogen valley”, where solar and wind energy will power two electrolysis plants, each with a capacity of 1 GW, located close to the port cities of Huelva and Cadiz. The overall aim is to ensure a steady stream of green hydrogen.

In 2021, the Italian Government forbid large cruises from navigating through the Giudecca Canal to protect Venice and its lagoon. At the same time, it also created a commission to develop a new model for sustainable cruises. The initiatives launched during the first year of work of this commissions include berths adapted in Porto Marghera for large cruises, favoring the dual use or cargo areas of the port. At the same time, smaller ships are docking in Chioggia for the first time. Further on, a new study connected to the project “CHANNELING the Green deal for Venice” will test nautical accessibility along the main entrance channel to the port, and identify actions to improve its navigability and safety, while minimizing the impact on the environment. The final goal is to be able to accommodate 1 million cruise passengers in Venice and Chioggia in 2027, 90% as home port.

The 15th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) will take place in Montreal between December 7^th and 19^th 2022. This event is important to ports and port cities as it will discuss how scrubber discharge water compares to water quality guidelines and its impact on the marine environment. The Ville de Montréal (Canada) and the Space for Life Foundation are commemorating this important event and their commitment to protect nature by announcing the creation of the Imperilled Species Fund. The fund is a long-term tool to accelerate conservation and research work done by the Montréal Space for Life museums with contributions of communities.

An international design competition was launched, in keeping with the Finnish tradition of total transparency of ideas. The contest was won by the firms White Arkitekter and K2S Architects. Their project is based around a “sustainable” waterfront concept that showcases the coastal ecosystem and port basins. It also attaches important to culture, with a museum devoted to architecture and design set to be created in Makasiiniranta. Finally, the project will preserve existing heritage, such as the old covered market or the Olympia ferry terminal, a vestige of the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki.