New Congress format at the Port of Oslo

In recent years, GreenPort Cruise and GreenPort Congress have been held as separate events, the cruise module taking place a day before the main Congress. This year, however, delegates will have the opportunity to enjoy both events over a two-day period (16-17 October), with simultaneous sessions available in the Cruise and Congress streams.

The new format will bring benefits of synergy, as it acknowledges the many shared challenges experienced by cruise and cargo ports. For those attending, it also means only two full days out of the office rather than three. There will still be an additional final day devoted to a port tour, as usual, for those who are able to stay on and participate.

Ingvar Mathisen, Port Director, Port of Oslo, will kick off proceedings on Wednesday 16 October, introducing the keynote address by Sveinung Oftedal, Norwegian Negotiator at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This will be followed by an address by Torstein Hagen, Founder and Chairman of Norway-based Viking Ocean Cruises.

Magnus Strandmyr Eide from the Green Coastal Shipping Program at DNV GL and Julia Manning of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will address issues around emissions reduction in the maritime and logistic sector.

A Q&A on Norwegian ports’ approach to legislation and cooperation will include a look at Oslo’s Zero Emissions Action Plan, which uses carbon budgets with a view to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Speakers include the Governing Mayor of Oslo and representatives of Zero Emission Resource Organisation and the Norwegian Maritime Authority.

The challenges of sustainable cruise will be examined by Christina Ianssen of Bellona Foundation, an organisation which has been dubbed ‘the Norwegian Greenpeace’. Tourist saturation in cruise ports will also be in the spotlight along with climate action plans.

Speakers from the cruise lines include Tor Svensen, Vice President Maritime Technology, Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, and Tom Strang, SVP Maritime Affairs, Carnival. Following the introduction by AIDA Cruises of the world’s first LNG-powered cruise ship, the brand’s Chief sustainability Officer Monika Griefahn will talk about the implications for cruising’s impact on ports.

Also on the subject of emissions-busting ships, Peace Boat founder Yoshioka Tatsuya will share insights into his organisation’s ambitious newbuild. Nils Kemme, Associate Partner, HPC Hamburg Port Consulting GmbH, and Bent Martini, COO, Hurtigruten, will discuss the possibilities of battery power. Helge Otto Mathisen of Color Line will show the new standards ushered in by the world’s largest plug-in hybrid ship.

Looking at how city ports increasingly act as energy hubs in the circular economy are BKK’s Pål Tveitevåg, who will explain how Europe’s biggest shorepower facility operates, and Emilie Dehu from Eco Slops, who will outline how the circular economy can bring profit to ports.

Synergy between port and city for green charging services and environmentally friendly waste disposal is crucial. Heidi Neilson, Head of Environment, Port of Oslo, will be one of the speakers on this topic. Petra König, Environmental Manager, Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP), will talk about how the port is meeting the need for efficient and sustainable charging services.

Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General, ESPO, will address the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the business strategies and governance of ports, while Antonis Michail, Technical Director, World Ports Sustainability Program, IAPH, will report on developments in his organisation.

The much-anticipated energy transition is now a reality for ports chasing challenging new targets. Representatives of Port of Seattle, Port of London Authority, Port of Genoa and Port of Vancouver will tackle topics around the energy transition and other pressing issues. Malte Siegert, Head of Environmental Policy, NABU will introduce Hamburg’s Air Quality-Measurement-Net at Northern Elbe Banks.

Hybrid and smart port solutions, emerging technologies and AI are also increasingly in the news. Companies including ABB, Wärtsilä, Envirosuite, Kalmar Skeleton Technologies and Inform will explain what they are doing to harness the new technologies. Willem Nieuwland of Hyster Europe will present a session on alternative energy sources for mobile plant equipment, focusing on the zero-emission Container Handler projects underway at the Port of Los Angeles in the US and Port of Valencia in Spain.

The final session of congress will be the now-traditional interactive roundup of themes touched on during the two days of Congress, moderated by Chris Wooldridge.