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Visions for sustainable transport

    CARTEN ELINA

    Norway has a vast nature-based infrastructure for maritime transport with significant investments in waterways and port facilities. A structure with a capacity to handle significantly larger volumes than today. Read the Kystrederiene’s vision for sea transport in this reader post.

    Norway has a vast nature-based infrastructure for maritime transport with significant investments in waterways and port facilities. A structure with a capacity to handle significantly larger volumes than today.
    It will be able to relieve road traffic, traffic pressure, road wear, local environmental impact, and accident risk, as well as being an essential tool for emission cuts and better climate policy.

    The port as a uniform transport operator

    Better integration of ships/waterways and port/distribution will be needed. The ports must appear as a unified transport operator for ship and cargo reception, transshipment, intermediate storage, and distribution. Procedures, documentation, and cost structure must be uniform for all traffic ports, and costs must be realistic to break-bulk cargo and cargo units.

    The ports will eventually offer shore power to ships and cargo handling. A new generation of vessels will have low-emission propulsion and carbon-free maneuvering and cargo handling. It will also be necessary to expand the SECA area (prohibition of heavy oil operations) from the Stad to the North Pole.

    There is much in the maritime policy that can build on such a vision.

    A long-term and consistent framework to operate

    It is primarily about secure and long-lasting framework conditions, where net wages, shipping tax schemes, and reimbursement schemes are crucial for today’s shipping industry and maritime business cluster. Secondly, the Green shipping program for short sea shipping with fleet renewal measures and grants for investments in environmental technology will be necessary for realizing a sustainable transport system. The program will also be a strong stimulus to the Norwegian maritime industry cluster.

    Political measures will also be needed to establish seamless integration between vessels and ports, with a range of criteria such as standardization, land use, and comprehensive transportation planning and infrastructure development. It will be necessary for a real green shift with less heavy transport over long distances and instead transport over the sea and zero discharge distribution.

    In the National Transport Plan (NTP), it is projected an 80 percent increase in road traffic and only marginal growth in sea transport until 2050.

    Kystrederiene believes that the sea, ships, waterways, and ports have much to contribute to the scenarios for a sustainable society. If we want a societal development with a reduced climate footprint and less greenhouse gas emissions, we will need new models such as sharing economy, public transport and integrated, green transport solutions across sea and land.
    But it requires active political measures.

    Tor Arne Borge, Managing Director in Kystrederiene, and Dag Bakka jr., advisor in Kystrederiene.