No waste, just resources at the Port of Koper

Consequent to the port’s ongoing development in the context of growing cargo throughput, spatial and ecological issues are becoming of increasing concern in striving to maintain the balance between economic, social and environmental demands and requirements.

Being fully aware of the effects that port operations have on the local as well as the broader milieu, the port company implements a range of measures aimed at reducing its negative impacts.

Natural balance is maintained through such measures as the introduction of modern energy-efficient technology, the ongoing reduction of airborne emissions (with regular monitoring and reporting), developing partner relationships with local communities, prompt response to emergency situations and improvements to the environmental management system. At the same time, Port of Koper’s waste management system abides by the No waste, just resources principle, which won ESPO’s award for port sustainability in 2014.

The port’s No waste, just resources project’s basic aim has been to reduce the amount of waste through encouraging its reuse or reprocessing into environmentally-friendly materials. This stance has ultimately led to the introduction of measures which engender significant social and economic benefits, as well as the promotion of new and innovative approaches to environmental protection.

Paper mill sludge as an anti-dusting agent

Port Koper’s European Energy Terminal, which handles coal and iron ore bulk cargos, has been a longstanding subject of discussion. The original water spray system used to reduce dusting didn’t always serve its purpose, hence the port examined alternatives and innovative approaches to further reduce dusting, solutions which would be both environmentally-friendly as well as acceptable to the local community.

In the search for the best solution to the problems of dusting, economic, technical and, in particular, ecological viability were taken into consideration. In the end we decided to use paper mill sludge, namely the cellulose pellets that are a waste by-product of the pulp and paper industry. It is a solution transferred as an example of good practice from the Port of Rotterdam. Learning from the experience of others as well as using and further improving existing know-how is most worthwhile.

The dust suppression system involves mixing the pelletised paper mill sludge with water and then spraying the resultant solution on the stockpiles of coal and ore. When the mixture dries, short cellulose fibres cover coal and ore with a crust that prevents dusting. Paper mill sludge is supplied by the Ljubljana-based label and flexpack manufacturer Papirnica Vevče.

This environmentally-friendly innovation allows us to reuse a waste product generated by the paper industry, further to which the local population finds the white colour of the stockpiles significantly less disturbing than black. The results have been very encouraging. Airborne particulate measurement devices located in the vicinity of coal and ore dumps also allow us to quantify its effects. An authorised agency regularly monitors airborne emissions of particles of less than 10μm at four different locations within the port zone.

Heating using recycled biomass

Port Koper examined a number of solutions in relation to its policy of waste reduction and reuse in the field of energy efficiency. The company’s energy concept aimed to analyse possibilities for the use of renewable biomass in heating facilities at the port, with an emphasis on improving overall energy efficiency, as well as the complete elimination of any reliance on light fuel oils.

Following an evaluation of the current heating and hot water system it was concluded that fossil fuels could be replaced by ecologically more acceptable wood biomass and more precisely, the woodchips and waste timber off-cuts which are a by-product of timber terminal operations and are currently collected separately. Some 1,750 tonnes of wood waste, which represents almost 7.2GWh of energy, is collected annually from Koper’s timber terminal. This significantly exceeds port zone heating requirements and offers a great possibility for the provision of a heating plant which would also be able to partially service the needs of the neighbouring city.

Waste separation centre and composting plant

The importance of waste management is constantly increasing, in particular regard to its collection, separation, processing and disposal. Waste generated within the Port of Koper may be divided into three main categories:

1) non-primary products generated by port operations (cargo residues, timber off-cuts, packaging, scrap metal, mixed municipal waste).

2) wastes generated by other entities operating within the free zone; and

3) wastes emanating from vessels berthed in the Port of Koper (these range from sewage sludge, oil-contaminated waters and food waste, to packaging waste and mixed municipal solid waste).

All wastes are collected at the Port of Koper’s Waste Management Centre, which has been in operation since 1997. Some waste categories are processed at the centre, whilst others are delivered to authorised organisations for further processing. The centre also includes a plant where biodegradable organic waste is processed into compost.

The composting plant processes between 4,000 and 5,000 m³ of waste per year. Biodegradable waste (including green waste from parks and gardens) is also delivered to the plant by Komunala Koper (the municipal utility provider). Although the annual quantity varies (between 500 and 1,700 tonnes) this source still accounts for the largest portion of composted waste. The processed compost is then used by Komunala Koper in its arrangement of municipal parks and we are delighted that our know-how and facilities are used to meet the requirements of the local community.

Over recent years, the implementation of modern waste management methods resulted in a decline in the total amount of waste generated per tonne of cargo throughput. This reduction not only corroborates Port of Koper’s endeavours to ensure a cleaner environment, but also improves the company’s operating efficiency. All Port of Koper employees participate in ensuring the sorted separation of waste and all facilities within the port zone have material-dedicated collection bins which are collected separately.

Marine silt as a construction material

There is insufficient disposal space along the Slovenian coast for the 5,000 to 20,000 m³ of sea sediments which are accumulated every year from the dredging operations undertaken to ensure harbour navigation. In accordance with the company’s No waste, just resources motto, these dredged sediments are viewed as potential raw material.

Accordingly, an extensive research project was conducted in order to define the best way of manufacturing these clay-rich silts into building materials suitable for civil-engineering applications. Based on test results, it was ascertained that the silt not only contains clay but also the silica and carbonates necessary for the manufacture of bricks. Further to this, the clay also contains a high percentage of fine particles; hence it is suitable for the production of hollow brick products.

Activities are now underway to use marine sediment in the renovation of Škocjanski zatok Nature Reserve (within the EU’s Natura 2000 programme), which is yet another example of the company’s collaboration with the local community in the preservation of natural heritage. Situated very close to the Port of Koper, and well-known for its rich flora and migrant birdlife, Škocjanski zatok covers an area of 122 hectares and as such is Slovenia’s largest and most important brackish wetland.

Centre of expertise

On the basis of the widespread belief that Slovenia lacks institutions dedicated to transferring knowledge into original technological solutions, the Technological and Environmental Centre was founded by Port of Koper, Koper Municipality and other partners in order to transfer know-how and primary research into commercial practice.

With a particular focus on renewable energy, waste management, extraction technology and marine ecology, high-quality original research projects are undertaken at the centre with a view to their practical application in various engineering-related areas.

Special mention should be made of the innovative CAPS project which aims to utilise paper mill sludge in the production of absorbents that can be used in the elimination of oil spillages, both on land and at sea. The innovative technology employed in the manufacture of the CAPSorb product emanates from an inter-sector approach in which a waste material from one industry is used in the manufacture of a valuable product in another. This particular technology is now used at the Port of Koper.

Into the future

In the context of the No waste, just resources! project Port of Koper has striven to identify new approaches to reduce the environmental impacts of port operations. Innovation derives from the (re)use of waste materials that are produced either within the port or locally.

At its outset we focused on those issues that the local community found particularly problematic, such as dust emissions from the coal depot, the disposal of dredged sediments, energy consumption and waste generation. A solution for all four issues was found in the waste material as a by-product, which when no longer treated as a waste material, becomes a resource.