New tools for ports to drive the green transition

How ready are the individual ports to receive and bunker vessels that sail on e-fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen? A new tool will provide an overview of this and help systematise it. 

The course is set towards the green transition of both vessels and the ports that will receive and bunker them. A new tool is on the way that will give the ports an overview of the process, while at the same time provide shipping companies with insight into the ports’ plans.

The tool is called Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels (PRL MF) and was presented by Namrata Nadkarni from World Ports Climate Action Program (WPCAP) at the Danish conference, The Port’s Role in The Green Transition, organised by DBI – the Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology , ADP and Energy Cluster Denmark.

“It is intended as a global framework and is also relevant for Danish ports. While depth and capacity are some of the current competitive parameters, the ability to receive ships sailing on e-fuels – including the necessary safety and any bunkering – will be a competitive parameter in the future,” says Anders V. Kristensen, Project Manager at DBI.

Shows port maturity

There are different approaches to using the tool. First of all, it can be used for any fuel to indicate port maturity on a scale from 1 to 9, where level 1–3 is analysis phase, 4–6 is development, and 7–9 is implementation. These levels apply to the ability to receive a vessel on a given fuel and the ability to bunker it, because the development of the port in these two areas can easily take place in parallel, but at different speeds. And it may also be that a given port only wants to be able to receive vessels sailing on a given e-fuel without bunkering them.

If the port then also adds years to when it expects to reach the respective levels for the respective e-fuels, it will be possible for the shipping companies to use this matrix in the planning of future routes for their green vessels.

“In this way, the Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels is not only a planning tool for the port but can also show their green transition plans to the outside world,” explains Anders V. Kristensen.

Green corridors

Last but not least, all this information from ports that use the Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels will be available on a website where, for example, shipping companies can use the filter function to form an overview of which ‘green corridors’ are expected to open in the coming years.

“It will be exciting to see how ports and shipping companies welcome the Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels. It will certainly be one among many tools, but it is a good proposal for a framework that can help the ports to concretise and systematise their green ambitions and thus accelerate the transition,” emphasises Anders V. Kristensen.

About Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels

The Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels (PRL-MF) is a framework/tool developed by the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) and the World Ports Climate Action Program (WPCAP).

It is aimed at stakeholders in ports in their planning and communication of their ability to receive and bunker vessels operating on e-fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen.

PRL-MF has nine levels ranging from early analysis over development to full operational capacity. Each level contains specific criteria for functionality and preparedness.

PRL-MF was presented under Danish auspices at the conference, The Port’s Role in The Green Transition, organised by DBI, ADP and Energy Cluster Denmark in May 2024.