Port accessA diverse panel of speakers from the port, energy and business sectors will analyse the keys to the future sustainability of ports
Ports are constantly evolving to adapt to changing economic and social demands. Furthermore, this trend has been accentuated in recent decades by new technological and demographic developments, as well as by factors of sustainability. All these circumstances are redefining the role of ports and their place in the economic and social fabric of the communities for which they provide a service.
Given this scenario, the actions geared towards energy efficiency, decarbonisation and ecological sustainability taken by ports are essential if the environmental goals set by the energy transition are to be delivered.
In line with this, on Tuesday 4 October, the Conference Room of the Port of Bilbao will host a seminar entitled ‘The role of ports in the energy transition’. This event, organised by the Port Authority of Bilbao and Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness, will feature prominent figures from the port sector and from companies and institutions in the energy sector. The aim of the seminar is to outline and analyse the opportunities and challenges facing ports in the context of the energy transition, as well as the key actions being taken in the field of sustainability in the main ports of Europe.
The event will begin with a welcome address by Ricardo Barkala, President of the Port Authority of Bilbao, and will continue with a presentation by Macarena Larrea, a researcher at Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness, on the key findings of the report titled ‘The Role of Ports in the Ecological Transition’.
Ms. Larrea’s intervention will be followed by talks by Iñigo Ansola, General Manager of EVE – Ente Vasco de la Energía, who will speak on the Basque energy
strategy and the relevance of ports as hubs for marine energy projects; by Carlos Alzaga, Director of the Port Authority of Bilbao, who will explain the details of the BilbOPS project for the electrification of docks and the associated photovoltaic installation; and by José Ignacio Zudaire, Director of People, Organisation, Financial and Institutional Relations of Petronor, who will present the paper ‘The Decarbonisation Hub of Petronor: A pioneering industrial project already underway’.
Jorge Fernández, Coordinator of the Energy and Environment Lab of Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness, will then moderate a round table discussion, with the participation of Iñigo Ansola, José Ignacio Zudaire and Andima Ormaetxe, Commercial, Operations and Logistics Director of the Port Authority of Bilbao. And finally, Ekaitz López, Economic and Financial Director of the Port Authority of Bilbao, will close the meeting by rounding up the conclusions of the day’s proceedings.
At the end of the event, those who so wish will be invited to take a guided tour of the facilities of the Port Authority of Bilbao.
