Belfast Harbour has become the focal point for discussions related to innovative space-age ideas as it hosts the first-ever European Space Agency (ESA) Port Decarbonisation and Environmental Sustainability Workshop. The event, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 17th, will bring together experts from across the maritime and space sectors in Europe to address significant challenges facing the maritime industry today.
Organised in collaboration with ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, Redshift Associates, and the UK Space Agency, the workshop will focus on the pressing issues surrounding decarbonisation and environmental sustainability in the maritime sector. With escalating concerns regarding climate change and evolving regulatory requirements, the workshop aims to explore the role of space technologies in driving the green transition for ports across Europe, particularly in the context of digitalizing port operations.
Belfast Harbour has been chosen as the venue for the first-ever workshop of this kind to be organised by the European Space Agency
Belfast Harbour has actively integrated digitalization and data-driven analytics into its business operations over the past five years, as evidenced by its Climate Action Strategy and advanced energy monitoring systems. The organization recently published an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report highlighting a 57% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions against a baseline year of 2015, with an 18% reduction in emissions in 2023 alone. Furthermore, Belfast Harbour is on track to achieve net zero in its direct operations well ahead of its 2030 target.
Laura O’Neill, Digital Transformation Manager at Belfast Harbour, expressed enthusiasm for the event, emphasizing the pivotal role of technology in the harbour's commitment to sustainability. She highlighted the impact of 5G technology in revolutionising port operations and underlined the importance of leveraging technology to enhance operational insight and develop innovative strategies to minimise environmental impact.
The workshop will feature discussions by industry experts, including Rita Rinaldo, Head of Applications, Projects and Studies Division at ESA, and Chris White-Horne, Deputy CEO & Chief Delivery Officer at UK Space Agency. Rinaldo underscored ESA’s focus on facilitating port decarbonisation and leveraging space technologies to bolster the maritime economy across Europe and beyond. White-Horne emphasized the critical role of satellite data in addressing the climate emergency and expressed the UK Space Agency's commitment to protecting the planet and outer space.
In addition to exploring industry requirements for decarbonisation, the event will address emerging solutions enabled by space data and services, and their potential for commercial exploitation by the port industry. This workshop presents a significant opportunity for Belfast Harbour to showcase its sustainability efforts to a panel of esteemed experts, while also facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration in the pursuit of a net zero organization.
For more information about the event, please visit here
