The European project ENEPORTS has a budget of €2.8M and is co-financed by the European transnational cooperation programme Atlantic Area 2021-2027
In the ports of Granadilla (Tenerife), Ferrol (Galicia) and Leixões (Porto), three pilot projects will be implemented to demonstrate how digitalization and Artificial Intelligence make it possible for ports to become centers for the generation of green energy, at competitive prices, as well as innovation laboratories for new renewable energy prototypes.
The Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER), an entity dependent on the Cabildo de Tenerife, participates in a European project aimed at showing the essential role of digitalisation in the decarbonisation of ports and in the efficient consumption and generation of green energy.
The project, called ENEPORTS, which will be launched in November this year and will last 3 years, has a budget of more than 2.8 million euros and is co-financed by the European Union’s transnational cooperation programme “Atlantic Area 2021-2027”.
Along with ITER, the Port Authorities of Tenerife, Ferrol (Galicia), Leixões (Portugal) and Galway (Ireland), the University of Galway, the Builders École d’Ingénieurs, and the Technological Institute of Galicia (ITG), which is leading the project, are participating.
One of the main actions foreseen in the project will be the implementation of three pilot projects in the ports of Granadilla (Tenerife), Ferrol (Galicia) and Leixões (Porto), which will serve as test beds for both terrestrial and offshore renewable energy technologies.
Thus, ENEPORTS will include the deployment in these ports of hydrogen storage or production systems, as well as electricity supply for maritime and land transport, and the green energy available from different technologies will be increased. In total, the three ports plan to install more than 70 megawatts by 2030.
One of the challenges of this deployment is the efficient management of energy flows generated by renewable sources and the integration of hybridization of technologies in a safe way, while maintaining the quality of the necessary energy supply in ports. In this sense, the three demonstration pilots of ENEPORTS will allow us to examine how digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can contribute to this efficient management.
Pilot experiences of digitalization and green energy generation in ports
In the ports of Granadilla (Tenerife), Ferrol (Galicia) and Leixões (Porto), three pilot projects will be implemented that will be based on the development of smart platforms for energy monitoring and management. The aim of the deployment in these ports is to demonstrate in a practical way the viability of the port’s renewable energy communities. These platforms will use advanced analytics tools, such as predictive algorithms, digital twins and machine learning, to efficiently control energy flows and internal energy market rules, while ensuring interoperability and cybersecurity.
In addition to the implementation of hydrogen storage and production technologies, ENEPORTS will study the feasibility of using, an innovative multi-source device for the production of energy through the tension of mooring lines, in combination with a hydro turbine and solar panels, in a port area. A tugboat-based onshore power system (OPS) device, based on a hydrogen-powered combustion generator, will also be tested for feasibility and compared with other existing technologies.
The project will study the economic, environmental, social and technological impacts of the hybrid systems implemented, and will allow the creation of replicable methodologies for port authorities, in order to involve industries and administrations, and increase awareness of the benefits and social acceptance of green ports.
ITER brings its expertise in renewables and hydrogen pilots and energy management and data monitoring.
ITER’s role in this European project will range from the study of the integration requirements of various energy sources and power quality criteria in self-consumption systems, to the electrical simulation of the grid for the identification of stable operating conditions for hybrid energies, combining generation and storage sources. In addition, ITER will be responsible for validating hydrogen technologies for integration into port energy supply systems (OPS).
In connection with the digitalisation of these infrastructures, ITER will first carry out the installation and commissioning of the network of monitoring equipment. It will then work on the development and deployment of an intelligent digital platform for the monitoring and energy control of infrastructures, and will finally be responsible for the exploitation of data using artificial intelligence techniques to generate a decision-making tool in the operation of the energy system in the port area.
Additionally, the Institute will assume an active role in the capitalization and dissemination of the knowledge acquired during the development of the ENEPORTS project.