Energy efficiency

Climate ChangeClimate ChangeClimate ChangeEnergy efficiency, the application of eco-efficiency to energy resources (electrical energy and fuels), is promoted by the Port Authority through adherence to the recommendations appearing in “Guidelines for Energy Management in Ports” (State Ports, 2014) in the "Practical Energy Guidelines: efficient, responsible consumption" (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, 2011), and the "Energy Saving and Efficiency Plan" from the Galician Energy Institute (INEGA). These include the following:

  • The implementation of electrical energy saving measures, in both buildings and street lighting.
  • Optimisation, on the basis of the time taken for maintenance tasks related with oil and lubricant changes in vehicles and machinery.
  • The organisation of awareness raising-communication actions, in connection with efficiency and consumption.

Actions undertaken

Within the 2009-2013 Eco-Efficiency Plan, the energy diagnoses for the Port Authority's Institutional Building and the Port of A Coruña's Fish Market, prepared by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, through ISDEFE, were carried out. Consequently, a series of new installations and procurements were undertaken:

  • Installation of a lighting system with a motion detector on interior stairways for accesses to the building and the access to the upper terrace.
  • Lights with motion detectors and light switches with push-button timers.
  • Better insulation in the Port authority office, located in the Fish Market.
  • Fitting of a boiler regulation panel to reduce consumption in the heating installations.

Additionally the “Refurbishment of outdoor public lighting installations” project was also implemented, 70% funded by the Galician Energy Institute, which entailed reducing the light output of lighting through the installation of flow reducers and a system for the remote management thereof in the Oza Dock. Subsequently, framed in different projects and lines of financing, the Port Authority of A Coruña, proceeded to:

  • Make the remote connection of a crown of luminaires (crown of work luminaires) of the two that have the towers of the inner port, and of two of the three groups of 4 luminaires (work groups 1 and work groups 2) of the five towers of the outer harbor. This made it possible to discriminate the light intensity in the areas where goods are being handled, keeping the surveillance-oriented lights lit (surveillance groups and crowns; inner port 2015).
  • Install partial meters and a remote management system in the water supply network in the outer port and LED lighting in the Oza Dock and Muelle de la Palloza (2017-2018).
  • Improve the energy efficiency of the CPD lighting system and supply LED-type luminaires for the Port Authority headquarters building (2019).
  • Install the second phase of the lighting change in the Oza Dock (2020).
  • Install a monitored meter in the warehouse of the outer port to control the volumes lost due to maintenance in the fire and supply networks (2020).
  • Renew an electrical circuit for lighting the Barrié de La Maza dam and installation of LED lights and the wind generation and electrical energy storage systems in the outer port (2020).
  • Implement a new solar and wind power system for the Sisargas Islands lighthouse (2021).

In 2021, the Energy Efficiency and Eco-innovation Plan of the Port Authority of A Coruña (P3E) was launched, aimed at achieving the objectives of reducing consumption and transition to the use of renewable energies, and with the monitoring of performance indicators. energy and carbon footprint. With the technical support of ISDEFE (Ingeniería de Sistemas para la Defensa de España S.A., S.M.E., M.P.), the following four phases will be undertaken in the P3E:

Phase 1: Initial diagnosis

It includes the energy study of the Port Authority facilities (buildings, exterior lighting, etc.) and the analysis of the potential for generating energy from renewable energy sources for self-consumption. The feasibility of modifying the APAC mobility guidelines towards other more sustainable ones that allow optimizing travel and reducing energy consumption will also be analyzed, as well as the environmental impact associated with the transport sector in APAC within a Sustainable Mobility initiative.

This phase is complemented by an identification of financing lines for the development of the identified projects.

Phase 2: Energy policy and planning

Along with the development of a strategy to improve the energy performance of the APAC, during phase 2 an Energy Management System will be implemented in the APAC in accordance with the 50001: 2018 standard with the establishment of the objectives and indicators of energy performance and CO2 footprint reduction.

Phase 3: Implementation

This phase is oriented towards the development of specific projects, their administrative processing and their execution.

Phase 4: Verification

The control of the achievement of the objectives established in the Plan, the review of metrics and the internal audit of the energy management system is contemplated in this phase, which has as its most relevant element the carrying out of activities to promote research, technological development and innovation in cooperation with other companies to improve efficiency in operations carried out in the port, and which will entail the calculation of the carbon footprint in its 1 + 2 + 3 scopes, study of alternatives for the use of green hydrogen.

Climatic change

The GHG Protocol, an international standard in the accounting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, defines direct and indirect emissions as follows:

  • Direct GHG emissions are emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the reporting entity.
  • Indirect GHG emissions are emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the reporting entity, but occur at sources owned or controlled by another entity.

As these are greenhouse gasses (GHG) we refer to CO2 equivalent (CO2 eq), which includes the six greenhouse gases appearing in the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrogen oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

The GHG Protocol classifies these direct and indirect emissions into three scopes:

  • Scope 1: All direct GHG emissions. These include emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the reporting entity.
  • Scope 2: Indirect GHG emissions from consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam. Emissions from consumption of electricity, heat or steam purchased by the reporting entity, produced physically in the installation where the heat or electricity is generated. These productive installations are different from the reporting entity.
  • Scope 3: Other indirect emissions. This includes all other indirect emissions. The emissions in scope 3 arise for the activities of the reporting party, but from sources not owned or controlled by the same. Examples of activities in scope 3 include the extraction and production of purchased materials, work-related travel, the transport of raw materials, fuels and products (e.g. logistics activities) and the use of products and services offered by others.

These three scopes from the GHG Protocol, when applied to ports, and in line with the Guideline Document from the Carbon Footprinting Working Group (World Ports Climate Initiative), can be equated to the following:

  • Scope 1: Direct GHG emission by the Port Authority. Emissions arise from sources under the operational control of the Port Authority, and include the vehicles that comprise its fleet, emissions from its buildings (e.g., boilers, generators, etc.), from its machinery (excavators, forklift trucks, etc.), and any other source of emissions which are owned and directly operated by the Port Authority.
  • Scope 2 - Indirect GHG emissions by the Port Authority. These sources include electricity purchased by the Port Authority for its buildings and services.
  • Scope 3 - Other indirect sources. These sources are typically associated with concessionary companies and other port users: consignees (emissions from vessels), transitory (emissions from their lorries), stevedores (direct or indirect emissions from cranes, chutes, conveyor belts, fork-lift trucks, loaders, and other cargo-handling equipment), rail operators (locomotives), contracted or authorised warehouses and buildings, movement of users around the port, etc.

Related indirectly but clearly with promoting energy efficiency, the Port Authority of A Coruña has set greenhouse gas reduction targets for scopes 1 and 2.

Carbon footprint record. Spanish Office for Climatic Change

In September 2015, the Port Authority of Coruña was the first Spanish port authority to register its data on GHG emissions without the registration of carbon paste, compensation and CO2 absorption projects of the Spanish Climate Change Office, considering the scope 1 In two activities for the provision of services and spaces in the Coruña Port Authority facilities, including both docks.

 


 

According to the P3E, and to maintain the reduction of our footprint around an additional 5%, the following initiatives will be undertaken:

  • Energy rehabilitation of the APAC buildings.
  • Improvement of the energy efficiency of outdoor lighting installations.
  • Implementation of RES facilities for self-consumption.

Documents

Guidelines for energy management in Ports
Practical energy guidelines: efficient, responsible consumption
Certified carbon footprint