Sustainable Port Development Research Articles

Spatial-temporal characteristics of port infrastructures on sulfur-oxide concentrations of coastal port in China

Port infrastructure is an important guarantee to support the development of shipping trade and a main link to connect shipping routes, where its construction and expansion promote economic progress whereas exacerbating regional pollution. Based on the panel data of 18 above-scale coastal ports in China from 2005 to 2020, the spatial characteristics and correlation of sulfur-oxide (SOX) concentrations are first analyzed, then the spatial Durbin model (SDM) is established to evaluate the extent of port infrastructure's impact on the concentrations, further the intermediation effects of three dimensions on the concentrations are explored. From the outcome, the influences of port infrastructures on the SOX concentrations are from decreasing the SOX concentrations through improving the operational efficiencies and increasing the SOX concentrations by adding the operational equipment, which also shows significant spatial spillover effects. In addition, the mechanical dimension as a mediation makes the trade dimension have an indirect effect on the SOX concentrations. This paper employs a spatial econometric model to analyze panel data from 18 coastal ports and ports of higher tiers in China, spanning from 2005 to 2020. It uncovers the intricate mechanism by which port infrastructure influences SOX concentration, thus providing a scientific foundation and decision support for environmental protection and sustainable port development.

The NEXUS story and its Stakeholder Analysis: Digitalising Multimodal Logistics and the Associated Value Chain Worldwide

The NEXUS project involves innovation and entrepreneurship. The first task of the project team, which is eclectic and includes several different profiles (research assistants, researchers, managers, engineers, designers and marketing specialists) was to do a stakeholder analysis, which involved doing some field work – six unstructured interviews – as well as some secondary data analysis (scientific articles on the Scopus database; Google searches; among others). The main concerns were to: unlock value through stakeholder engagement; move from concept to collaboration – for sustainable port development; and to connect ports worldwide which will involve international stakeholder collaboration and synergies for sustainable innovation. A Stakeholder analysis is a process consisting of identifying the individuals or groups that have a specific interest in a project, which can affect them, or be affected by them, including large groups such as customers and suppliers; employees; shareholders and investors. It is necessary to sort them according to their impact and consequences regarding the project. It is essential to manage stakeholder expectations when making decisions, especially in a project with thirty-five partners and with a global reach. The initial funding is around 92 million euros (approved by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP)), to ensure the ambitious implementation of the new NEXUS platform and other related products. To minimize backlash, early as well as ongoing stakeholder involvement is a prerequisite. Strategy formulation should not occur in an “ivory tower” and involvement is key. For effective and efficient decision-making, to minimize risks, which need to be identified as well as all the connections and relationships to be created and nurtured. The research question at the outset was: How may we successfully implement a multi-partner project which involves considerable investment, and which aims to digitalize maritime ports worldwide? The theme is, currently, without precedent as the impact intended is for there to be a positive impact on all stakeholders involved – a win-win situation all around. The project will finish in 31-12-2025 and will produce 28 innovative solutions for commercialization. NEXUS is a green and digital project which is up to date as regards the latest sustainability norms and regarding overall operational efficiency in multimodal logistics. Work Package 10 is a specific exploitation, internationalization, promotion, and dissemination package.

Two incentive policies for green shore power system considering multiple objectives

Shipping significantly contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for more than 80% of global trade. Consequently, governments have been focused on air pollution reduction for many years. The adoption of shore power systems has increased, recognized for their effectiveness in reducing emissions. This study introduces multi-objective mixed-integer programming models to investigate the impacts of government-subsidy-based and berthing-priority-based incentive policies on various types of expense benefits from the perspectives of different stakeholders. This paper aims to optimize shore power equipment deployment, berth allocation, and ship scheduling while balancing environmental benefits, costs associated with shore power, and operational efficiency. We design an improved NSGA-II with a two-stage solution algorithm to solve the studied problem, which is more suitable for large-scale case calculations. Following the case study, we offer insights for stakeholders to navigate the complexities of sustainable port development and promote the adoption of shore power systems.

Modeling and Optimization of the Air-Supported Membrane Coal Shed Structure in Ports

The air-supported membrane coal shed is widely used in bulk cargo terminals. It not only effectively protects goods from adverse weather conditions but also helps reduce coal dust and harmful gas emissions, promoting the green and sustainable development of ports. However, in practical engineering, the design parameters of the coal shed are often based on experience, making it difficult to accurately assess the quality of the structural design. The flexibility of the membrane material also makes the structure susceptible to deformation or tearing. This paper mainly focuses on modeling and solving the optimization design issues of air-supported membrane coal shed structures. According to the evaluation criteria for the form of air-supported membrane coal sheds, a multi-objective structural optimization model is established to minimize the maximum stress on the membrane surface, ensure uniform stress distribution, maximize structural stiffness, and minimize costs. The study utilizes a combined optimization approach using ANSYS 19.0 and MATLAB 2016a, incorporating an improved NSGA-II algorithm program developed in MATLAB into ANSYS for structural form analysis and load calculation. The research results indicate that the optimal solution reduces the maximum stress on the loaded membrane surface by 5.36%, shortens the maximum displacement by 30.3%, and saves on economic costs by 9.85%. Compared to traditional empirical design methods, the joint use of MATLAB and ANSYS for optimization design can provide more superior solutions, helping ports to achieve environmental protection and economic efficiency goals.

The spatial spillover effect and its attenuation boundary of urban economy on port efficiency.

Cities are commonly recognized as the immediate hinterland of ports and play a crucial role in fostering the sustainable development of ports. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the influence of cities on ports. By employing panel data from 2001 to 2021 for both ports and cities in the Bohai Rim region, this study examines the spatial spillover effect of urban economy on port efficiency using the spatial error model (SEM). The findings show that urban economies have a significant spatial spillover effect on port efficiency, but this effect diminishes across different spatial matrices. In particular, the geographical matrix demonstrates a stronger spatial spillover effect of the urban economy on port efficiency. These research findings help to establish a collaborative mechanism for port-city development and provide useful insights for government management decision-making.

The Model of Sustainability Balanced Scorecard and Supply Chain in Port Management for Tourism

The development of ports for the sake of tourism is one of the key strategies in developing and strengthening a solid foundation in the tourism industry. The integration of a supply chain into port management for the purposes of tourism that is sustainable balanced can be used as a model for planning sustainable port development for tourism purposes. However, there are scarcely any studies on this topic, while plenty focus on the general concepts involved. To fill this gap, this article presents a model of a Sustainability Balanced Scorecard for ports. The author proposes a new approach to planning port development and supply chain management for tourism, particularity to provide recommendations and further our understandings of the relationships involved in the Sustainable Balanced Scorecard from the stakeholder perspective, the learning and growth perspective, the internal process perspective, the financial perspective and the environmental perspective. Using these five perspectives, the literature review identifies 56 indicators of 15 factors that can be used in the model. Therefore, this research helps to enhance and develop sustainable and efficient conditions in tourism while reducing future risks. Moreover, the research enables stakeholders to gain an understanding of and knowledge about the sustainable development and management of ports and for tourism. The insights can be applied in policy and strategy development according to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) to accommodate social movement, environmental risk and economic inequality.

Research on the Development and Policies of the Port of Singapore Harbor

The Port of Singapore has long been renowned for its outstanding development and effective policies. This paper delves into a comprehensive study of the key characteristics, infrastructure development, and critical policies formulated by the government for the Port of Singapore. Through both quantitative and qualitative analyses of port development, it reveals the factors contributing to its success as well as the challenges it faces. The paper explores innovative initiatives taken by the Singaporean government in port management, including trade facilitation, digital technology applications, and sustainable development. Emphasizing flexibility in response to changes in the global trade environment highlights the Port of Singapore's ability to maintain competitiveness. Finally, the paper puts forth recommendations to further enhance the competitiveness of the Port of Singapore and foster its position in the global supply chain. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the success of the Singaporean port model, providing valuable insights for the sustainable development of other ports.

Multi-element integrated design of marine landscape in sustainable smart ports

In the era of economic globalization and heightened international competition, the emergence of free trade zones has significantly increased regional openness, introducing both new opportunities and challenges for ports. This paper proposes the enhancement of intelligent design in the maritime landscapes of smart ports, with a focus on optimizing internal pathways and developing a predictive model to gauge the impact of smart port landscapes. Furthermore, the study delves into the assessment of risks in smart port supply chains, employing an innovative approach that integrates rough set theory and neural networks. This novel model significantly improves the accuracy of risk evaluation in port supply chains, thereby providing crucial decision support for port management. Additionally, the economic efficiency of smart ports is scrutinized using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Malmquist index method. Through meticulous selection of research subjects, port efficiency indicators, and the DEA Malmquist index, this analysis offers a comprehensive insight into the economic operations of smart ports. This research not only offers guidance for port economic management but also establishes a framework for the sustainable development of smart ports, thereby ensuring their long-term viability.

The Effective Communication through Climate Change Campaign in Sustainable Port Development

Port development has an impact on climate change. A sustainable port as a solution to the problem focuses on three pillars: economic, social and environmental. This article explores and analyses the challenges to the development of sustainable development of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo), using PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya (TPS) as a case study. Our aim in this study is to highlight the importance of two pillars, namely environmental and social in the concept of sustainability. This study analyses the environmental climate change campaign conducted by TPS. The researcher used a qualitative descriptive approach to conduct the case study. Data were collected through interviews and observations as primary data, while internal company data, documentary films, internet media coverage, and literature studies became secondary data. The research revealed the company's communication process by collecting information regarding the number of impressions received from news coverage and social media reports. Since TPS has not determined a standardised score, the communication process needs a more comprehensive evaluation. TPS should focus on this area further to determine the effectiveness of its current communication strategy.

Research on Financial Risk Management of Free Trade Port under the Revolution of Digital Economy

The commencement of the full implementation phase of Hainan's free trade port building project signifies the initiation of Hainan's endeavour to establish a free trade port with distinct Chinese attributes. The maintenance of financial security in the Hainan Free Trade Port is crucial for ensuring the stable and quick development of the port, particularly in light of the accelerated speed of financial opening in its construction. In the realm of digital finance, the concept of interconnectivity and data exchange is achieved through the transformation of prospective financial data into information chains. Digital finance has emerged as a significant component of the digital economy, exerting a substantial influence on the rebuilding of the financial ecological value system and the formation of the nascent financial services industry. Nevertheless, the expeditious advancement of digital banking has engendered a range of risk management concerns. These include the swift transmission and progression of risks inside the realm of digital finance, the escalation of data security and compliance challenges, and the augmented complexity of market regulation. This study examines the issue of digital financial risk management by assessing the current situation and trends in digital financial development. It analyses the unique characteristics of digital financial risks compared to traditional financial risks and considers the current state of financial development in Hainan. The study explores the risks that should be mitigated during the development of Hainan's free trade port and proposes measures to ensure the financial security of the port. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the sustainable development of Hainan's free trade port.

Environmental management systems in Greek ports: A transformation tool?

Environmental Management Systems in ports represent an effort to combine high-quality port services and strong environmental performance with modern management strategies and street-level implementation. The broader use of EMS indicates a shift towards more sustainable port organization, operation and development, but also a trend to optimize objectives, means and procedures through a consistent, well-organized and result-oriented effort. This research paper delves into EMS as transformative tools, with a particular focus on their implementation and impact within Greek ports. Our findings suggest that EMS are powerful tools. They have the capacity to set strategic decisions into motion, establish concrete and measurable targets, introduce new processes and procedures, reorganize existing structures or create new ones, mobilize resources effectively, and generate tangible outputs and effects. Concurrently, EMS may have significant externalities by catalyzing changes in port strategy, governance, structure, or organizational culture. EMS reflect a heightened environmental ambition and engagement on the part of port authorities and serve as catalysts for the environmental mainstreaming and sustainability efforts within the port industry. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge that EMS implementation does have certain limits and limitations that should be taken into account when striving for better environmental performance or sustainable port development.

Arctic waters: port Sabetta development

Port Sabetta, located in the Russian Arctic along the Northern Sea Route, epitomizes the intersection of geopolitical interests, economic imperatives, and environmental challenges in the Arctic region. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of Port Sabetta's development, focusing on its environmental impact, socio-economic implications, and comparative analysis with other Arctic and non-Arctic ports. The geopolitical context and economic significance of Port Sabetta are explored, highlighting its strategic importance in Russia's Arctic strategy and global energy dynamics. An environmental impact assessment reveals the ecological risks associated with port construction, maritime operations, and industrial activities, emphasizing the need for proactive mitigation measures and regulatory oversight. The socio-economic implications of Port Sabetta's development are examined, including its effects on local communities, regional economies, and indigenous livelihoods. Case studies and comparative analysis of Arctic and non-Arctic ports provide insights into best practices and lessons learned for sustainable port development. The sustainable development of Port Sabetta requires a holistic approach that balances economic growth with environmental protection, social equity, and geopolitical stability.

Toward sustainable port development: an empirical analysis of China’s port industry using an ESG framework

In recent years, the issue of sustainable development has become increasingly important in the port industry. As port policies are altered under decentralization and governance models, the application of corporate responsibility (CR) is expanding. It is now expected that ports take on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities. This paper focuses on the application of an ESG framework to the port industry in China, with a specific emphasis on social responsibilities. By focusing on ESG-focal issues in the port industry, we establish a model for evaluating the sustainability of ports that takes into account the three dimensions of environment, society, and governance. An empirical analysis of Shanghai Port in China is presented to illustrate the application of the framework. The paper highlights the main contribution of the ESG framework to support sustainable port development and provides recommendations for promoting the implementation of ESG and sustainable development in the industry.

A Hybrid DEMATEL and Bayesian Best–Worst Method Approach for Inland Port Development Evaluation

Inland ports are gaining more and more attention as important hubs for inland cities to promote foreign trade. However, studies on the evaluation of inland ports are lacking. In this work, we aim to construct an index system and propose a multi-criteria group decision-making method to comprehensively evaluate the development of inland ports. Unlike previous studies, using pressure–state–response model as a reference, we built up a demand–risk–power–potential framework for the index system proposed in this study. To determine the different weights for each indicator, which is a typical multi-criteria decision-making problem, we innovatively combined the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and the Bayesian best–worst method (BBWM) based on their distinct advantages in dealing with data coupling and group decision-making. In addition, this work introduces a case study of inland ports in the Huaihai Economy Zone to validate the efficacy of the proposed evaluation model and method. After calculating and obtaining the comprehensive scores and rankings of each inland port in this case, we compared the evaluation results with those under the BBWM, TOPSIS, and CRITIC methodologies, and found that the results under the DEMATEL–BBWM methodology can provide better differentiation for inland port evaluation results. Moreover, based on the evaluation results, a performance–importance matrix is formulated to identify the areas requiring attention in the development process of each inland port. Subsequently, rational managerial insights are put forward to achieve the sustainable development of inland ports in the Huaihai Economy Zone.

Port sustainability through integration: A port capacity and profit-sharing joint optimization approach

Currently, port development has shifted from expansion to overcapacity, posing challenges to promoting sustainable port development through traditional port integration methods. To break this dilemma, we propose a model to facilitate port integration in multi-port regions by adjusting capacity and conducting market share transactions. The model aims to minimize the total social cost by optimizing the capacity adjustment (i.e., berth construction) scheme for each port, the market share trading scheme, the compensation price that ports pay for market share trading, and the government subsidy allocated to each port. To solve this model, we convert it into a two-stage formulation, and we design a genetic algorithm embedded in an inverse optimization model. Numerical experiments are conducted with actual data from the Yangtze River Delta in China. The results indicate that port integration significantly affects cargo owners’ port selection, with Nanjing Port, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Terminal, and Shanghai Yangshan Port occupying prominent positions. In addition, constructing new berths on Dayangshan Island would benefit the Shanghai Yangshan Port Authority, as transportation demand is expected to rise in the future. These findings provide guidance for governments and port authorities to address port overcapacity and develop sustainable policies.

Analysis of Carbon Emission Reduction at the Port of Integrated Logistics: The Port of Shanghai Case Study

With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in the shipping industry, the issue of sustainable port development is becoming more and more valued by the port authorities. The shipping industry requires more effective carbon emission reduction analysis frameworks. This paper takes China’s Shanghai Port as the research object and analyzes it from the perspective of port-integrated logistics. Combined with the port data of Shanghai Port from 2008 to 2022, the principal component analysis gray correlation analysis model was used to screen the factors affecting the port’s carbon emissions, and three calculation models for Shanghai Port’s carbon emission sources were proposed. In addition, an expanded stochastic impact model based on the regression of population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) was constructed for the influencing factors of Shanghai Port’s carbon dioxide emissions and combined with the method of ridge regression to further identify important influencing factors. At the same time, a gray neural network model was established to predict the carbon emissions of Shanghai Port from 2021 to 2030 and compare them with their real value. The conclusion shows that there is a close relationship between Shanghai Port carbon emissions and container throughput, throughput energy consumption, number of berths, total foreign trade import and export, and net profit attributable to the parent company. Gray neural network model data calculations show that the growth rate of Shanghai Port’s carbon emissions will gradually slow down in the next ten years until the carbon peak is completed around 2033. The study can provide a reference for the sustainable development of other ports.

Building Sustainability Through Port Integration: A Case Study PT Pelabuhan Indonesia

Port Integration through the merger of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia I, II, III, and IV in 2021 sets one of its goals to ensure sustainable port development (sustainable effort). One of the main services of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia is the Container Terminal service which includes 63 Ports / Container Terminals in Indonesia which constitutes 95% of the total traffic of Indonesian Containers, of which from the number of Containers handled is the 8th largest in the world, is a strategic position that needs to be ensured the sustainability of its function. Indonesia’s container traffic has grown in the last 20 years with a CAGR of 6.75%. This growth is influenced by several variables including the number of inhabitants, area, and distance between the city and the port. This study analyzes the relationship between variables and benefits of port integration to the growth and sustainability of container terminal development in a sample of ports/terminals managed by PT Pelabuhan Indonesia. The study concluded that port integration supports sustainable port development.

Strategies of stakeholders’ selection of shore-to-ship power in China

In the context of the global energy crisis and environmental degradation, ports are not only important hubs connecting water and land transportation but also major sources of energy consumption and environmental pollution. How to promote the transformation of ports to green and achieve sustainable development of ports has become the focus of attention in the world. As a major shipping country in the world, China attaches great importance to the issue of air pollutant emissions in port areas and has issued a series of policies on shore-to-ship power in recent years, but due to the lack of endogenous market dynamics, port, and shipping enterprises are not willing to use shore power, and the development of shore power technology is severely restricted. In the research of shore-to-ship power propulsion countermeasures, the existing methods mostly target a single subject and are mostly limited to a static perspective, focusing more on qualitative analysis, while lacking the idea of system modeling. Based on the interactions of the stakeholders involved in the promotion of shore-to-ship power, a game model of strategic choices of the stakeholders, namely the government, the port enterprise, and the shipping companies, is constructed based on evolutionary game theory. For obtaining the benefits matrix and the expected return of the stakeholders under various choices, the parameters in the game model are given. The stability theorem of differential equations is used to find the equilibriums of the choices’ games, and the stability of each equilibrium is judged. The evolution mechanism of the strategic choices of all the stakeholders for promoting shore-to-ship power is analyzed through system dynamics simulation in Matlab. The results show that the strategic choices of the government, the port enterprise, and the shipping companies affect each other greatly. Government policies have leading roles in the strategic choices of both port enterprises and shipping companies. An optimal fee range for shore power usage can encourage the growth of the shore-to-ship power system.

The Relationship between Port and City Growth: The Case of Ningbo

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between port and city growth with the help of the port impact curve and relative concentration index (RCI). This is done from the two aspects of (1) clarifying the characteristics of the interaction between Ningbo port and city, and (2) clarifying the phased development of the relationship between Ningbo port and city. Design/Methodology/Approach – Based on the method of the port impact curve and RCI, we conduct a case study of Ningbo, a port-city in Southeast China, and we also make a meaningful comparison between Ningbo and other famous port cities in China. Findings – This paper finds that Ningbo port and city have been in a relatively loose relationship from 2010 to 2021. Over these 12 years, the relationship between Ningbo port and city has shown signs of changing from the stage of agglomeration and diffusion effect to the stage of urban selfgrowth effect. Also, we find that, compared with other port cities, the positive correlation between Ningbo port cargo throughput and urban economy development is relatively weak. However, Ningbo’s export-oriented economic characteristics form a certain boost for the development of port container throughput. Research Implications – In the management of this paper, this study revealed the flexibility and complexity of the port-city relationship, suggesting that the stage characteristics of the port-city relationship should be combined on the road of the sustainable development of ports and cities, which will also provide reference for follow-up research.

Evolutionary game between government and shipping enterprises based on shipping cycle and carbon quota

With the opening of the national carbon trading market and the coming of the post-epidemic era, the government actively promotes the carbon quota policy to fundamentally achieve carbon emission reduction. This paper corresponds the shipping cycle to the shipping market demand situation during the epidemic, incorporates the shipping cycle characteristics and government quota characteristics into a multi-stage evolutionary game model. Later, the study analyzes the equilibrium points of the game parties at each stage and finally investigates the influence of factors such as technological improvement on the strategy choice of shipping enterprises through sensitivity analysis. The study found that the government’s carbon quota policy is influenced by shipping market demand. During the peak shipping season, the government’s quota policy is binding on shipping enterprises. In the low season of shipping, the binding effect of government’s quota policy on shipping enterprises will be reduced, or even appear to be invalid. Therefore, the government should forecast the demand situation of the shipping market, gradually relax the regulation during the peak season of shipping, and strengthen the regulation before the low season of shipping. Shipping enterprises should increase the research and development of carbon emission reduction technology to reduce carbon emissions from the root to realize the sustainable development of ports and marine-related industries in the post-epidemic era.