SUSTAINABLE GOALS
The oceans cover about 70% of the earth’s surface and are an essential element for the economic and environmental development of the planet. Climate change and environmental degradation are huge threats for Europe and for the whole world. However, some research claims that the marine industry is responsible for more than 40% of air pollution on Earth. This is because of its strong dependence on fossil fuels. More recent data related to the European Union, state that 25% of emissions in Europe is due to transport, of which 5% is given by shipping, which pollutes in large quantities in a localized way. In 2018 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has completed the first steps in order to try to stimulate the use of less polluting fuels and the adoption of innovative technologies in the nautical field. The objectives are to halve greenhouse gas emissions in maritime transport by 2050.
The turning point is in 2019 with the Green Deal, a collective European mobilization to achieve a zero emissions economy in any sector. Billions of euros have been allocated to halve emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. “The European Green Deal is also our lifeline to leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind”. 1in 2020 the European Parliament added: “maritime transport affects climate change, marine biodiversity, air quality and public health due to carbon dioxide (CO2) and other emissions such as methane, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, particulate matter and carbon black”. It is therefore a race to adopt measures at European and global level to reduce emissions from maritime transport in order to save the planet from further environmental and climate threats.
THE FUTURE OF PORTS
How can you concretize a “sustainable boating”?
In order to achieve sustainable boating it is necessary to invest in innovative technologies for the production of clean energy, for an increasingly less polluted environment and for an increasingly safe sea. This affects not only the construction of boats and engines, but also everything related to ports and activities related to them. It is therefore very probable that the ports will be between the protagonists of the next objectives of the European norm. Strategies are needed to make ports a facilitator of the energy transition. Consequently, it is possible that they are solicited of the participations in order to develop ports to zero emissions through investments in structures of refueling and recharge. The economic investments and the relative timing regarding the transformation of the ports are still unknown, but is hypothetical that this passage will be tried in the shortest possible period, at the expense of a smooth and harmonious transition that facilitates marinas and boaters.
THE PRESENT STATUS OF PORTS
The current market for power pedestal is extremely obsolete and lacking in future planning. Tourist marinas currently offer only water, electricity and telephone services. They have not been implemented with new technologies and have not kept up with the times. Sustainability must not be overlooked. The power pedestals, being placed in hostile environments, have a short life cycle and must be replaced frequently, resulting in a cyclic waste of materials. However, the concept of mobility is taking a new direction that points to sustainability, preservation and innovation.
Leonardo wants to be a link between the past and the future of ports, overwhelmed by enormous changes that are difficult to manage in an economically sustainable way.
Replacing all the traditional pedestals with charging stations in one time is an impossible operation and the marinas should set up areas reserved for electric boats forcing the boaters to “migrate”. A radical and immediate transition is not feasible: the transition to electricity must be fair and harmonious for all.
FOR A FAIR AND HARMONIOUS ELECTRICAL TRANSITION
We are facing an epochal change in the concept of mobility, adopting strategies that lead in the right direction for the future of our planet. However, we must ensure that this historic moment of transition is fair for all, mitigating the negative consequences and emphasizing the benefits.
The electric has now become part of our daily lives, distorting our way of conceiving the movements. As has happened for the automotive, also the boats will go through different phases before reaching the full electric, passing through the hybrid motorizations. This is a problem for ports and boaters. The ports must invest in electric colonnine although they are still little the boats that can effectively refuel.
At the same time boaters with an electric boat, find themselves having to abandon their place at the pier in search of another that offers electric supply, thus losing the sociability that is built over years with their neighbors. Leonardo is a bridge that combines the needs of the environment, marinas and boaters, so as to achieve a harmonious and fair transition for all players in the field, facilitating the transition to electricity.
The marinas will no longer have to replace the power pedestal in their entirety: it will be enough to replace the electric box with one equipped with a charging station and traditional sockets. In this way, investments are made in proportion to the increase in electric boats, economic resources are saved and customer needs are met.
The Boaters will no longer be afraid of losing their mooring if they own with an electric boat.
The dimension of sociability is essential for marinas: once you find your friends, it is difficult to change berth. This is certainly an obstacle to the electrical transition, as you continue to use polluting fuels rather than go looking for a new location that offers electric charging. Leonardo allows you to keep your friends close to you, offering the possibility to replace the traditional modular electric box with a charging station box when you buy an electric boat.
