Vigo is in a unique position. Its location in the Bay of Vigo is in the Cies Islands National Park and five areas categorised as specially protected areas so it has needed to commit to a policy of strict environmental stewardship.
Carlos Botana Lagarón, head of environmental policies, Port Authority of Vigo, told ESPO: “The environmental policies of the Port of Vigo are aimed at becoming a green port. This means using the newest technologies to reduce the impact of port activities on the environment.”
He said that the port is actively participating in numerous projects to achieve maximum sustainability and energy efficiency, including the Technologies and Scenarios for Low Emissions Shipping (TEFLES) project, the Green Port Energy Centre project (GPEC) and the large port energy efficiency study that the port is completing, which is part of the proposal of the State Ports to create an energy management guide for ports nationwide.
Other green focuses at the port include waste management, which the port tries to get better at each year. Its waste management projects, such as the one with Ecopilas and Ambilamp, hit a record in 2014 with recycling ratios above 72%.
It has also been working with the coastal fleet to bring to port all waste caught on fishing nets, thereby achieving a complete clean-up of the surrounding coast.
In all, the Port of Vigo has been able to lower its carbon footprint by 24% in the last two years.
