Abu Dhabi Ports plans to halve emissions through digitalisation

Smart containers will reduce power usage effectiveness by more than 20% and slash carbon emissions by half

A ship is offloaded at Khalifa Port in Kizad, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Abu Dhabi Ports *** Local Caption ***  bz18ma-kizad-01.jpg
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Abu Dhabi Ports plans to halve its emissions through a smart container initiative that will use solar power to reduce energy use.

The solar-panelled steel and aluminium container will use environmentally-friendly technology to allow in-row cooling, renewable energy and efficient space allocation. This technology will reduce power usage effectiveness by more than 20 per cent and slash carbon emissions by half, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Global maritime organisations need to reassess traditional ways of conducting business and to seek out sophisticated alternatives especially during times of economic upheaval,” Abu Dhabi Ports Group chief executive Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said.

The smart container programme was in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, he added.

“We are committed to investing in ultra-modern green and clean technology and innovative digital infrastructure that ensures business continuity at all times,”

Several international and local organisations have looked to accelerate their green transition during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has also seen record declines in carbon emissions due to mobility restrictions around the world.

On Monday, energy major BP said demand for oil has peaked as countries diversify their energy mix and increase the share of renewable energy.

Oil and gas, which have dominated demand for energy for decades, are set to wane in significance as consumers make cleaner choices and unlikely to return to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this week, tech giant Google pledged to run all of its campuses and data centres on carbon-free energy by 2030.

This transformation will create more than 20,000 new jobs in clean energy and associated industries over the next five years, the company said on Monday.

Global emissions flatlined for the first time in 2019, as economies transitioned from polluting fuels to cleaner power generation, the International Energy Agency said in February.

Emissions for 2019 remained unchanged at 33 gigatonnes, as the world economy expanded by 2.9 per cent, according to the Paris-based agency.