Port of Antwerp – Renewing, greening and optimizing the port’s fleet

The port of Antwerp operates a fleet of tugboats, dredging vessels and support vessels. As one of the major ports in Europe the Port of Antwerp assumes an important role in the energy transition and the shift to a more sustainable society. As an operator we want to walk the talk and lead by example. To this end, a multi-year program was drawn up to renew, green and optimize the port’s own fleet. In the coming years the port wishes to specifically improve and innovate in the fields of:

  • Emissions and consumption by investing in energy-efficient ships, focus on alternative fuels and improve processes to reduce consumption (SDG 13). Key projects include:
    • Hydrotug – delivery 2023
    • Fastwater (reconversion of existing tugboat to dual fuel methanol) – delivery 2022
    • 2 new diesel electric hybrid patrol vessels – delivery May 2021
    • 3 new energy-efficient RSD tugboats – delivery Q1 2021
    • Consumption analysis of the fleet (Cognauship) – Q1 and Q2 2021
  • Ergonomics and well-being on board by focusing on people and staff, providing a safe and ergonomic working environment and focusing on training (SDG 3). Respective initiatives include:
    • Creating support base and training on alternative fuels for all staff – Q2/Q3/Q4 2021
    • Developing an ergonomic bridge design for the future: Q2 2021
  • Improving services by digitizing and innovating (SDG 9). Key projects include:
    • Developing a tool for port planning (Optiport)
    • Remote monitoring

As a community builder the port authority wants to communicate this multi-year program as much as possible and involve partners where possible to inspire, share knowledge and raise awareness, both internally and externally (SDG 17).