Rhys BerryThe Port of Barcelona and the Port of Shanghai are to partner on decarbonisation as part of a broader agreement to explore opportunities for collaboration.
The agreement was signed by the deputy General Manager and head of Innovation and Business Strategy of the Port of Barcelona, Santiago Garcia-Milà and the Senior Manager of the Shanghai International Port Group, Shen Wei, during the recently-held Barcelona-Shanghai Investment Summit
‘The agreement recalls that ports are the main nodes through which world trade passes and therefore they must work together to develop efficient and resilient port and maritime services that guarantee the functioning of their industries and economies of their hinterlands,’ the Port of Barcelona said in a statement issued today (14 May). ‘To achieve this aim, both ports will foster the exchange of knowledge and experiences on topics such as innovation, standardisation of digital processes and the development of SMART ports. To the same end, the ports of Shanghai and Barcelona have agreed to share projects for the sustainability and decarbonisation of port activity.’
The Port of Barcelona said the cooperation will take shape in various initiatives, including promoting joint training projects in specific subjects, particularly port management, digitalisation, reducing their carbon footprint and developing green corridors and security.
The Spanish port also highlighted that the agreement provides for cooperation and the exchange of knowledge to develop the cruise industry – Barcelona and Shanghai are currently the top cruise ports in Europe and Asia respectively – ‘under the highest standards of quality and sustainability.’
As previously reported by ship.energy, a study published last year by the Global Maritime Forum found there are ‘deep-sea opportunities in the container segment’ for green corridors, such as container trade between China and the ports of Barcelona and Valencia.
Image: Port of Barcelona
Ariane Morrissey
