Estimating CO2 footprints of container terminal port-operations

Abstract

At present there is increasing pressure on governments and industries to come forward with initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions. This is particularly relevant for the transport sector, as the share of transportation is still increasing, while other sectors are reducing their CO2 footprints. The main purpose of this paper is to present a methodology to analyze the CO2 emissions from container terminals and gain a better understanding of the CO2 emissions by container terminals in port areas. With a better understanding of the CO2 emissions, more effective solutions to reduce CO2 emissions by container terminals can be identified. The study provides insight into the processes of container handling and transshipment at the terminals and calculates the contribution of these processes to the CO2 emissions (or carbon footprint) of the container terminals. The model was validated by application on 95% of all sea and inland container terminals in the Netherlands. © 2011 WIT Press.