Changes in the global energy environment and climate change have led the EU to propose new regulatory frameworks to facilitate the decarbonization of its economies. Among them, the "Fit for 55" package and the "FuelEU Maritime" proposal requires that the most polluting ships use electricity supplied by the port during berthing, mandatory from 2030. Besides the Maritime Strategy for the Atlantic Ocean Area invites to reduce Europe's carbon footprint by taking advantage of offshore wind, waves and tidal resources, which need ample space in port areas or nearby for assembly. These challenges add to high electricity prices in the region during the past months, driving port authorities towards greater energy efficiency, while reducing emissions on their operations; and to exploit the opportunity to gain competitive advantage by offering clean energy at a stable and competitive price, to ships and to their concessionaires, encouraging the development of new energy ecosystems in their areas for self-supply. 

ENEPORTS asses the opportunity to deploy, in the port areas, test-beds for prototypes of new green/blue energy systems, aligned with the Atlantic Area Programme commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy. These test-beds -that might include storage or hydrogen production- will increase available green energy from different technologies, and can support innovative projects, driving technological and economic development, creating energy communities in their surroundings, fostering economic conversion of decaying sectors. They present, among others, the challenge of efficiently managing energy flows generated by renewable sources, and integrate the hybridization of technologies in a safe way, maintaining the quality of energy supply; ENEPORTS will tackle this with digitalization and intelligent algorithms for power control.

• WP1: Administrative regime and impacts in areas under the responsibility of port authorities
• WP2: Energy performance and design of hybrid technology systems
• WP3: Demonstration of decarbonization technologies
• WP4: Digitalization, monitoring and control of ports ecosystems, with smart energy platform

BUILDERS will contribute in the ENEPORTS projects on WP2, by collaborating on the analysis of challenges on marine energies, and on the modelling and simulation of integration of these technologies, using data from the multidevice on GREEN RIVER project, and numerical simulations if needed. Besides, on WP3, BUILDERS will carry out a feasibility study for the implementation of this technology in the port of Ferrol, using the GREEN RIVER data to evaluate the local potential (current, wave, exposure, energy recovery potential). It should be noted that BUILDERS will also be able to work in collaboration with the port in order to evaluate the Regulatory constraints to be lifted based on its experience in France. Finally, BUILDERS will lead communication, capitalization and dissemination activities throughout the project.

The ENEPORTS project has been co-financed as part of the European Interreg Atlantic Area cross-border cooperation programme via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to the tune of €2.1 million out of a total budget of €2.8 million.