Published Nov 21, 2022 2:32 PM by
The Maritime Executive
[By: BEST]
BEST has installed half an acre of solar panels on the roofs of its buildings.
Hutchison Ports BEST terminal has installed 1,832 solar panels on almost half an acre of its buildings. BEST has already contracted electricity with a 100% renewable source guarantee at the beginning of 2022, and thus continues its strong commitment to the decarbonization of the sector.
It is an auto-supply installation that can produce 1.18 GWh of electricity, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 200 houses. The installed power is almost 1 MWh (833.56 kWh). The company in charge of installing the panels is Solar Profit.
Estefanía Soler, BEST’s head of sustainability, says: “These efforts have contributed to further reducing the terminal’s carbon footprint, with BEST’s emissions being 65% lower than conventional manual terminals.
On Friday 18 November, BEST received a visit from a delegation from the Port of Barcelona, with Damià Calvet as the highest authority, to see the installation of solar panels in situ. Calvet stated that “in the Port Community of Barcelona we are working together to promote the decarbonization of the port activity.
BEST is one of the most sustainable terminals in the Mediterranean thanks to its operational model, based on semi-automation and the use of mostly electric cranes, which in turn produces a very high productivity.
High terminal productivity helps shipping lines reduce the time spent at the port and the speed of travel to the next port, reducing air emissions and the ship’s carbon footprint. In addition, BEST has partnered with the Barcelona Port Authority to electrify its port and allow ships to be connected to electricity during their stay at the terminal.
The carbon footprint is an important issue for shipping companies, especially now, because the new European regulations introduce the shipping carbon market and the International Maritime Organization requires reporting on the energy efficiency of ships. and their carbon intensity.
The company’s goal is to help supply chains become sustainable. Citizens demand sustainable products and that means sustainable logistics.
This solar panel initiative is part of BEST’s sustainability strategy and reinforces its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda of “Affordable and Clean Energy”.
BEST was inaugurated 10 years ago and is a benchmark in terms of sustainability within the terminals of the Hutchison Ports group, which operates 52 terminals in 26 countries.
Finally, it is worth noting the group’s commitment to rail and remove trucks from the road to reduce atmospheric emissions. In 10 years, BEST increased local train traffic in the Port of Barcelona from 3% to 20%. This is thanks to BEST’s own train terminal, investment in intermodal terminals in northern Spain (in Zaragoza, Noain, Villafría, Agoncillo and Miranda de Ebro) and the creation of its rail operator, Synergy, which helps to extension of the Port of Barcelona area. of influence.
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