What changed?
The Impacts and Benefits
Impacts for the Company
The project has significantly deepened the port's technical understanding of renewable energy systems and emerging technologies relevant to port operations.
The associate and the academic team provided robust technical insights during discussions with technology and energy providers, contributing to more informed decision-making.
The project highlighted the importance of structured data collection. Going forward, the team will collaborate with the associate and leverage internal expertise to establish a comprehensive data framework.
The ongoing development of the reports and roadmaps is expanding awareness and understanding of the implications of various alternative fuels, particularly regarding cost, environmental impact, and infrastructure requirements for Montrose Port.
Direct engagement with the port community during the mini-project has provided invaluable insights into the stakeholders' net-zero strategies and timelines, facilitating alignment with the port’s sustainability goals.
Participation in port activities has enhanced the associate’s understanding of the organisation, which has proven beneficial during data collection for initial modelling and impact analysis.
The technical expertise provided by the associate and knowledge base have assisted senior management with key commercial decisions, especially those related to renewable energy investments and sustainability initiatives.
Impacts for the Academic Team
The project has deepened the academic team’s understanding of Port’s business models, key stakeholders, their energy demands, and options that could drive decarbonisation.
A comprehensive literature review on alternative fuels provided valuable insights, which laid a strong foundation for the team’s research into future maritime energy solutions.
Data collected through the port has provided a comprehensive understanding of port operations, vessel activity, and stakeholder involvement, leading to more precise analysis and enhanced decision-making.
Engaging directly with port stakeholders through interviews and meetings has proven invaluable in understanding their perspectives, needs, expectations and attitudes toward decarbonisation and sustainability measures, enriching the academic team's grasp of industry dynamics.
The team calculated Montrose Port’s emissions for the previous year, including Scope 3 emissions, creating a critical baseline that supports future decarbonisation strategies and emissions reduction initiatives.
The observation studies on port operations and the development of tailored port models provided insights into operational bottlenecks, current challenges, and opportunities for decarbonisation, supporting evidence-based decision-making and driving further research and real-world impact.
The team is developing roadmap documents to guide management on energy transitions, with plans to expand the work into a journal article to showcase the project’s academic contribution.
Impacts for the Knowledge Transfer Associate
KTP Associate has achieved significant milestones, including completing various inductions and obtaining certificates in multiple training programs. Building substantial knowledge of Trust Ports and Port’s business activities, engaging with stakeholders in the maritime sector to deepen his understanding of port operations.
Associate has attended environmental training such as environmental management system auditing, impact assessment and academic writing courses. Additionally, completing courses at the University of Strathclyde and other sources on simulation software. Moreover, training both online and onsite at Ashorne Hill, has enhanced their management and leadership skills, culminating in a CMI Level 5 training certificate.
They have developed models and gained insights into alternative fuels, renewable energy, decarbonisation technologies, and port operational efficiency measures.
The associate has explored green shipping corridor opportunities among different ports and countries. They also attended conferences, engaged with leading decarbonisation organizations, and completed the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Corporate Standard Training, aligning with ISO 14064.
The associate continues to explore new strategic approaches for the port’s future and personal development, attends webinars on decarbonisation and alternative fuels, and takes courses on discrete event simulations and software for port operations.