Pioneering Ports, Cities and Regions

Banner image by North Sea Port

Get to know the pioneering ports, cities and regions on TOOL´s Featured Insight Lists and interactive map, enabling and accelerating the clean shift at sea.

Welcome onboard as we build the most complete overview of zero-emission ports, cities and regions on our interactive map and specially curated featured insight lists.

The goal of TOOL´s Featured Insight Lists is to promote various niches and focus groups in Ocean and Energy, helping connect innovators with relevant resources. This is a part of TOOL´s mission to map and connect the world of entrepreneurs with the wider innovation ecosystem. Explore TOOL´s other featured insight lists here.

Ports and Cities as Zero Emission Frontrunners

By working together, cities and ports can enable zero-emission solutions at ports that reduce emissions from transport and supply chains far beyond the port area. Ports and cities have the unique ability to act together on climate change, especially in their collective power to advance and accelerate the deployment of zero-emissions technologies and solutions. (Oslohavn.no).

At the intersection of land and sea, ports can play a pivotal role in the decarbonization agenda and much needed energy transition. Ports can be front runners of the energy transition. They provide a variety of avenues for decarbonization, from the ports themselves, the vessels that use them, heavy trucks that transports goods to and from the ports, and the surrounding industrial sites, which are often co-located with ports to benefit from easy access to bulk transportation (DNV, Ports: Green gateways to Europe).

We now invite you to explore the feature list on pioneering green ports, cities and regional initiatives enabling zero emissions at sea! Is your port/city/region misssing from the map? Or do you know a pioneering port/city/region that should be on the map? See instructions below and get on the map!

Pioneering Ports

Port of Amsterdam, NL

Millions of tonnes of industrial waste with the potential of being recycled or reused get incinirated or landfilled. Port of Amsterdam aims to become a fully circular zone by 2050. Upcycle Factory will be a driving force behind this goal by repositioning industrial waste-streams as commodities.

Upcyclefactory.nl is now in Demo stage, available to a select group of customers.

Port of Antwerp, Belgium

Port of Antwerp-Bruges has developed a sustainability policy with ambitions by 2030 in the areas of climate, health, safety, innovation, gender equality, inclusion, etc. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the guiding principles in this regard. Being a major European hub for containers, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is planning to become a hotspot for circular companies. Two new production facilities will be erected in the NextGen District, an industrial zone within the port area that is devoted to implementing circular solutions. This will result in turning the Belgian port into a true hydrogen hub with an efficient water treatment plant.

Port of Arendal, Norway

Purchased Norway´s first floating fast charging station for electric boats, long before the demand. In addition, Arendal municipality has purchased two electric boats that people can rent for a few hours and experience how it is to use an electric boat. Check out their inspirational resources for developing electric boating infrastructure in the city of Arendal (In Norwegian).

Port of Bergen, Norway

In collaboration with DNV and other Norwegian ports, Port of Bergen has led the way in developing the Environmental Port Index (EPI), a reporting tool for operating ships in port.

The port has also built a world-leading shore power facility so cruise ships no longer need to run their engines to generate electricity while in port.

In parallel with its activities targeting the cruise industry, Port of Bergen is working to make port operations smarter, more efficient and more environment-friendly. They are investing in an entirely digital port operations control centre that can optimise the flow of ship traffic in and out of the port, preventing queues, downtime and emissions. Moreover, the port is looking for solutions for autonomous, zero-emission container transport, not unlike the Yara Birkeland project.

“Port of Bergen is a trendsetter for other Norwegian ports, and we have garnered a good deal of international recognition. In this way we can play a role in promoting the global green transition,” says Even Husby, Head of Environment at Port of Bergen.

Port of Gothenburg, Sweden

Scandinavia´s largest port. H2 Production Facility & Filling Station: planning to construct a hydrogen production facility at the port with Statkraft (2023), CinfraCap Carbon Infrastructure Capture: transport of captured carbon and how this can be done in a climate-smart and cost-effective way.

“We know there is already significant demand in and around the port for using equipment powered by hydrogen. A number of companies and organisations are ready and waiting and we are convinced that local production of hydrogen would represent a breakthrough,” says Arvid Guthed, Vice President, Port Development, at the Gothenburg Port Authority.

GreenPort Denmark

Port for import and export of green and renewable materials in the town of Køge, DK.

Port of Florø, Norway

The Port of Florø in the west coast of Norway has established the world´s first rapid charger for electric boats, as well as the world´s first combination charger for both electric boats AND cars. The rapid chargers in Florø are a result from the collaboration between SFE, Evoy, Port of Florø and the municipality of Kinn. The rapid chargers in Florø are part of Plug and BKKs fast charging network for electric boats across the Norwegian coast.

Photo by Eviny

Port of Hamburg, Germany

In realizing that innovation is essential, the Port of Hamburg has developed and implemented 'homePORT'. A test area, 'makerspace' within the port limits, to serve as a real, maritime laboratory. Moreover, the Hamburg Port Authority is a partner of the EU-funded SeaClear project, which will deploy autonomous underwater robots to detect and clear marine litter. The project won in the category 'Environmental Care', at this years IAPH 2022 Sustainability Awards.

Port of Kristiansand, Norway

Leading Norwegian port when it comes to using shore-power. The Port of Kristiansand has installed Europe´s largest shore power plant in 2018 and Norway's first shore power plant for cruise ships. An increasing number of shipping companies see the value of connecting to the facility, and the port experiences a surge in requests for every season. Being connected to shore power when docked at night saves the environment from significant emissions locally, as well as globally in terms of CO2.

Port of London, UK

Ledaing a ground-breaking, two-year, £2.1 million development programme, looking at the scope to establish a national hydrogen highway network, integrating land, sea and port.

Port of Narvik, Norway

A collaboration between the Port of Narvik, the pioneering cleantech company Teco 2030 and eight other project partners will give the port of Narvik the world's first hydrogen-powered harbor boat and as a result, a hydrogen filling station.

Image by TECO2030

“A new hydrogen-powered workboat will put the Port of Narvik in a unique position, where we will reduce our own emissions and use pioneering technology that will become important for both national and international shipping in the years to come,” Børge Edvardsen Klingan, Port Director at the Port of Narvik, commented. The Port of Narvik is also working actively to strengthen connections via train with the East. This means that salmon from Norway and goods from China to North-America can be tranpsorted with far less emissions than before.

Port of Oslo, Norway

Shore Power: Target of 85 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with a long-term goal to be emissions-free. Port of Oslo has an ambitious plan of action to cut greenhouse gas emissions by investing in emissions-free solutions. Pelikan 2 - the world's first electric environmental boat, helps keep the harbor clean and is specially designed for the efficient collection of floating waste. Aker Brygge Marina - electric harbor: Norway's first fully electric harbour & sharing boat pool space. Electric ferries - part of the city´s public transportation network.

'Aker Brygge Marina wishes to be future-oriented and take an early position as a marina for electric boats, as part of Norwegian Property's overall green strategy'' says Geir Olav Hegerroll, general manager of Aker Brygge Marina.

North Sea Port, NL and Belgium

Solar Park: Installation of solar panels on the roofs of the warehouses at Verbrugge Scaldia Terminals (VST) and Verbrugge Zeeland Terminals (VZT) (2021). The green energy produced is a step towards the energy transition in the community of North Sea Port, and will be used for the forthcoming electrification of port equipment.

Port of Vienna, Austria

H2 meets H20: Assessing the feasibility and applicability of hydrogen supply along the Danube as logistics backbone (2022-2023)

Port of Vigo, Spain

European pioneer in the integral implementation of the Blue Growth strategy. Through Port of Vigo´s Green Bay project the port aims to achieve electrifation of maritime mobility in the Vigo Bay through the development of technologies for propulsive electrical equipment and energy storage in batteries that reduce emissions in the maritime sector.

Images by Port of Vigo

Vollen, in the city of Asker, Norway

Vollen Marina, in the town of Vollen in the city of Asker, Norway, is creating a new harbour with charging facilities for electric boats. The Electric Boat Conference and Electric Boat Fair is a yearly happening at Vollen Marina. Moreover, the boating firm W-Yacht is establishing themselves at Vollen Marina. In 2020 they started their new major venture for electric boats for the electric market. Kruser electric boat pool, is also at Vollen Marina.

Innovative Initiatives for Ports

Mobile Charging Stations for Seasonal Use

Skagerak Energi has installed a mobile fast charger on the skicenter at 'Rauland' which will be moved down to the harbour when the season is over, to charge both electric boats and cars. Skagerak Energi´s mobile fast charger is a smart concept for seasonal use - mobile charging for boats/port in summer, which is moved to winter destination outside of boating season.

Pioneering Cities and Towns

City of Bergen, Norway

One of the first cities in Norway to get rapid chargers for electric boats. Part of Plug´s fast charging network for electric boats across the Norwegian coast. Kruser electric boat pool, is also in Bergen.

City of Gothenberg, Sweden

Gothenburg’s ElectriCity initiative involves developing, testing, demonstrating and evaluating solutions that will contribute to the establishment of new, sustainable, attractive transportation systems and open up new opportunities for future travel, transportation of goods and urban planning.

As part of ElectriCity world-leading supplier of power solutions for marine and industrial applications, Volvo Penta, is to retrofit a ferry to be fully electric. This will be the first fully-electric ferry in the city that can address longer, multi-stop routes along the waterway.

Gothenburg is already one of the world’s most progressive in addressing climate and environmental issues, holding the highest ranking – 94% – in the 2018 Global Destination Sustainability Index.

Town of Kragerø, NO

Planning electric boat charging stations under private administration.

Los Angeles, USA

During his tenure as Chair of C40, Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti launched the C40 Green Ports Forum to decarbonise global supply chains that power our economies, one of his top priorities as Chair. Initiator of the Greenn Shipping Corridor partnership together with the city of Shanghai, Port of LA annd Port of Shanghai. The goal is to decarbonise goods movement between the largest ports in the United States and China. The partnership intends to work together to achieve these goals by developing a “Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan” by the end of the 2022 calendar year.

Town of Moss, NO

Kruser electric boat pool, jas available to private customers and companies in the city of Moss from 2022.

'This sharing scheme for electric boats will be a perfect fit for the district we are developing at Verket. We are sure that our residents and tenants will appreciate the offer.' -Steinar Løvdal, rental manager at Höegh Eiendom

City of Rotterdam, NL

Leads the Connecting Delta Cities Network, bringing together delta cities to address sea-level rise, discuss coastal flooding and water management issues and exchange knowledge and best practices to support cities in implementing solutions.

City of Shanghai

Initiator of the Green Shipping Corridor partnership together with the city of Los Angeles, port of Shanghai and Port of Los Angeles.

Urban Blue Initiatives

AltaSea at the Port of L.A.

AltaSea is creating an urban, ocean-based campus at the Port of Los Angeles where ocean innovators work together. The cutting edge 400,000 square foot campus is built on a historic pier with unparalleled access to the deep ocean. Professionals and students that gather at AltaSea’s 35-acre site will enjoy a state of the art facility that includes 4,100 feet of linear dock space, circulating seawater and marine life support systems throughout the facility, laboratories, research facilities and hands-on educational and job skills development areas.

Barcelona Blue Economy Innovation Hub

The Port of Barcelona and the City Council have signed a collaboration agreement to develop a blue economy hub in Barcelona. The agreement will by passed to more than thirty social and economic stakeholders in fields of port activity and maritime transport, fishing and the distribution of marine products, blue tourism, boat repairs and nautical activity, as well as cross-cutting facilitators from sectors such as research, training, education and maritime culture.

Havhøst - Ocean Harvest

The largest member organisation gathered around regenerative ocean cultivation in Denmark.

New York's Floating Community - Blue City Red Hook

The need for floating communities will be evident in the near future. Certain dense urban areas will be flooded as a result of rising sea levels. Thus, it is necessary to look for alternative ways of living. The Blue City in Red Hook is a concrete example of this.

Pioneering Regional Initiatives

Charging plan for electric boats from Agder to the Inner Oslofjord

Arendal municipality, together with Agder county council and Vestfold and Telemark county councils, have received money from the Norwegian Environment Agency's climate change scheme ('Klimasats/Miljødirektoratet') to plan where it should be possible to charge electric boats from Agder to the inner Oslofjord. Asker municipality has also contributed to this work. The charging map shows the status of charging points along the coast from Flekkefjord to Asker - where there are charging points, types of charging, planned charging points, range and recommended charging points. The project was finalised 1.3.2023.

See the charging map here Read the charging plan for electric leisure boats, from Agder to the inner Oslofjord

Screenshot from the charging map (linked above).

Neom - the emission-free and smart region

NEOM is building the world´s first zero-emission region by the ocean to be fueled by clean energy. NEOM will be built in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia and will be the size of Belgium. 94% of nature on land and sea will be protected.

Electric Boat Charging Network on the Telemark Channel

Canal Boats Telemark has received financial resources to make the Telemark Canal and the Telemark coast the world´s first waterway with a network of fast charging stations for electric boats.

GO:Leif - 400 charging stations in the Skagerrak region

EU funded interreg project spanning from March 2023-2025, aiming to lay the foundation to create over 400 new charging points for electric boats in the Skagerrag region(Gøteborg, Oslo, Arendal, Kristiansaand). Project owned by Science Innovatum Park. Other project parties: Agder County Municipality, Arendal Municipality, Business Region Gothenburg, Föreningen Lydløs, Fyrbodal Municipal Association, Grefab, Gothenburg Municipal Association, LEVA, Lysekil Municipality, SSPA and USN University Sørøst Norway.

Grønn Kystring - 'Green Coastal Ring'

Borg Havn (The port of Borg), together with its three owner municipalities (Fredrikstad, Hvaler and Sarpsborg) and Viken county municipality, will investigate a joint charging network for electric boats in the region. The target groups are municipal service boats, leisure boats, local ferries, passenger boats, goods transport and the fishing fleet. The project has received NOK 352,000 in 'Klimasats' support in 2021.

The preliminary project will also build on experiences from ports in Hvaler, Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg municipality, which will jointly look at the possibility of establishing a 'green coastal ring'. A possible extension of the charging network to a larger area will also be considered: southwards towards Halden, Strömstad and Orust, northwards towards Moss and Indre Oslofjord and westwards to Vestfold, Telemark and the Sørland coast. Here it may be relevant to collaborate with other networks and initiatives that work with charging plans for electric boats.

ZeroKyst

The ZeroKyst project will set into motion a rapid technology shift for all vessel types in the fisheries and aquaculture industry, contributing to the reduction of emissions by vessels in these industries by 50% before 2030. ZeroKyst will also establish regional infrastructure in Lofoten with shore power and hydrogen, as well as hydrogen production on Vannøya in Karlsøy. With this, Lofoten becomes an international spearhead in developing the future’s zero-emission vessels for the fishery and aquaculture. Project partners: Selfa Arctic AS (Project manager) | Shipbuilder Hymatech AS | Technology supplier Øra AS | Fishing boat company, owner of the electric fishing boat “Karoline” Ballstad Slip AS | Shipyard for the coastal fishing fleet Plug AS | Shore power supply company Lofotkraft Muligheter AS | Electrification company Siemens Energy AS | Technology supplier SINTEF (Energy Research/Ocean/Industry/Helgeland) | Research Institute RENERGY – Renewable Energy Cluster | Business cluster NTNU | University Flakstad municipality | Coastal community

H2 Marine AS / Greenstat | Energy and infrastructure supplier'

screenshot from ZeroKyst website

Lofoten - Lofoten de Grønne Øyene

Lofoten 2030 - The Green Islands” is Lofoten´s regional program for green growth, a partnership between the inter-municipal regional council Lofotrådet, the energy company Lofotkraft and the destination company Destination Lofoten.

The electrification of vessels is amongst “Lofoten 2030 - The Green Islands” goals. Lofoten is working to facilitate and stimulate more people to choose emission-free solutions at sea.

Help Us Complete the Map!

Together with partners over 40 countries we are building the first interactive map and resource exchange platform for innovators across Ocean, Renewable Energy and Circular industries, TOOLSpawn.com. Be visible to the world as we now are putting pioneering ports and cities on the map!

Check out the initial list of pioneering ports and cities above
Join us in making it complete! Follow this guide for creating your profile and getting on the map.
Let us know if you know of someone who should be on the map. Nominate candidates by messaging our TOOL chatbot, or regisering on TOOLSpawn and DMing the TOOL Scout.

Explore Innovators in Green Boating and Blue Urban Transportation/Tourism

Explore TOOL´s Featured Insight List on green innovators in leisure boating, including boat manufacturers, equipment/engines, green boat maintenance solutions and boat sharing providers! Or check out TOOL´s Featured Insight List on innovators in blue urban transportation and tourism!

Opportunities for Ports and Cities on the Map

Find exciting opportunities for ports and cities on the TOOLSpawn-map, accelerate your zero-emission path!

GAIN ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES: get on the map (see instructions here), then search for the opportunities in the search function or find them under 'Opportunities' on the platform.

WWF & Grieg Port Cleanup Competition - Matched by TOOL

WWF & Grieg 'Clean Ports, Clean Oceans' Startup Competition Matched by TOOL

RESULTS: TOOL Spawn used as platform & facilitator alongside a local incubator, to run competion and scout global candidates for circular/plastic startups. All candidates onboarded & evaluated from Spawn. Regular events connecting project owner with candidates run on TOOL Aquarium. Half the initial finalists came through TOOL, and 3 made the final selection.