The On The MoS Way – OTMW project was successfully represented by OceanFinance, the University of Strathclyde, the Università degli Studi di Genova, Circle and Environmental Protection Engineering, project during the TEN-T Days 2015 that took place between 22 and 23 June 2015 in Riga, Latvia.
The TEN-T Days Exhibition in Riga, an annual European clustering event, focused on 40 different TEN-T projects and initiatives and that aim to transform European transport infrastructure from a patchwork into a network, connecting European citizens and bringing a wealth of benefits to the EU as a whole and the challenges faced by them in attracting innovative funding solutions. This high-level event was joined by Transport Ministers from 12 European Member States, CEOs and more than 1000 transport stakeholders. OceanFinance produced leaflets and a banner and Circle Touch produced leaflets regarding the OTMW that shared with the participants of the event.
The OTMW project was accommodated in the POSEIDON MED project’s kiosk, which is the first Cross European Border project aiming to introduce LNG as the main fuel for the shipping industry and develop a sufficient infrastructure network of bunkering value chain. POSEIDON MED focuses in the eastern Mediterranean region with five Member States (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia) involved.
During the first day of the Conference, the OTMW Partners communicated the project with several other projects participating in this event, including the Partners of the POSEIDON MED project. Other projects included:
- “WINMOS – Winter Navigation Motorways of the Sea”, a project aiming at ensuring sustainable and efficient maritime transport through the year and diminish the barrier effect caused by sea ice in the Baltic coordinated by Swedish Maritime Administration, was one of these projects.
- “SmartPort Projects” implemented by the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), intending to build a permanent shore power station at a cruise terminal that lowers CO2 and fine particulate matter emissions and also reduces noise pollution.
- “MONALISA 2.0 Project” implemented by Swedish maritime Administration aiming at increasing safety and incident prevention, minimizing negative consequences when incidents occur and creating a new maritime information system concept for Sea Traffic Management.
- “PPP Project Amsterdam Lock” implemented by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Port of Amsterdam, City of Amsterdam and Province North Holland aiming at improving maritime access to the TEN-T network in Amsterdam by constructing a new, large lock with a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
- “Port of Dunkerque Project” implemented by the Port of Dunkerque and aiming at implementing a new generation multimodal container platform, a reception terminal able to handle the largest container ships and an adjoining logistic area addressing the specific needs of the European freight transport system.
- “Pilot Deployment of Emission Reduction Technologies (Scrubbers) On General Cargo Vessels on North Sea and Baltic Sea MoS Corridors” coordinated by Spliethoffs Bevrachtingskantoor BV focusing on implementing a pilot test on exhaust gas cleaning on board general cargo vessel sailing on the North Sea and Baltic Sea Motorways of the Sea corridors.
- “LNG in Baltic Sea Ports II Projects” implemented by the Ports of Helsingborg, Trelleborg, Sundvall and Rostock and Klaipdos nafta AB, which assists the adaption to the new SECA sulphur content limits and aims to foster a harmonized approach towards LNG bunker filling infrastructure in the Baltic Sea area.
- “FAMOS – Finalizing the Baltic Motorways of the Sea Project” coordinated by Swedish Maritime Administration and focusing on the hydrographic surveying of the Baltic Sea according to the BSHC-HELCOM Revised Baltic Sea Harmonized Hydrographic Re-Survey Scheme
- “WiderMos, AnNa, B2MoS projects” implemented by La Spezia Port Authority, Dutch Ministry of Transport and Valenciaport Foundation and aiming at presenting viable solutions to make Europe more competitive while benefitting from the opportunities provides by digital technologies.
During the second day of the Conference, dissemination activities focused on the projects related to innovation, inland waterways and ports, such as:
- “Smart, Energy Efficient and Adaptive Port Terminals – SEA Terminals” coordinated by Valencia Port Foundation, Port Authority of Valencia and Noatum Ports SLU, with one of its aims being similar to one of the OTMW aims, namely the development of eco-friendly prototypes based on alternative fuels.
- “LNG Masterplan for Rhine-Main-Danube” coordinated by Pro Danube Management GmbH focusing on the deployment of LNG as an eco-friendly alternative fuel and a new commodity for the inland navigation sector.
- “Into the future – Baltic SO2lution project” coordinated by Wartsila Finland Oy, North European Oil Trade Oy, Terntank Rederi A/S and Tarntank Ship management AB, aiming at introducing an innovative and environmentally friendly LNG engine system both for the new buildings and retrofits of ships focusing on reducing emissions and increasing energy efficiency of the entire supply chain of oil products in the Baltic Sea.
- “BioGaC: Biomethane and LNG in the North for growth and competitiveness in the EU” coordinated by the Municipality of Skelleftea and aiming at upgrading and extending the existing alternative fuel infrastructure in order to fill in a missing link of the TEN-T network and enable the supply of safer, greener and cheaper CNG.
- “HIT-2-Corridors – Hydrogen infrastructure for transport along TEN-T corridors” coordinated by Sweco and aiming at investing new infrastructures and plans for the two Corridors to ensure long distance travel for fuel cell electric vehicles.
- “Inland waterway infrastructure initiatives” coordinated Province of Ferrara, Emilia Romagna Region, Italy, aiming at improving the waterway infrastructure and finding the technical solutions to remove four bottlenecks hampering the growth of inland waterway transport in the region.
OTMW Partners discussed with all these projects’ partners about the main aims of the project and all the work that has been done already, while almost all of them illustrated an increased interest in the project and requested further information on it. Particularly three (LNG Masterplan for Rhine-Main-Danube, Into the future – Baltic SO2lution project and LNG in Baltic Sea Ports II Projects), from all the projects that communicated with the OTMW project, were closely related to the OMWN’s aims and showed the most interest on the project’s following activities. More specific, the OMWN Partners discussed with these projects the possibility of their participation in a discussion about LNG training during the OMWN final event that will take place in September 2015.
Moreover, Dr. Panayotis Zacharioudakis represented OceanFinance in this year’s TEN-T Days 2015 conference with a presentation on the first day’s session entitled: “TEN-T Corridors: Boosting Investment for Economic Growth and Jobs”. This edition of the TEN-T Days focused on the challenges faced by the new trans-European networks (TEN-T) in attracting innovative funding solutions. Transport Ministers from 12 European Member States, CEOs and over 1000 transport stakeholders joined this high-level transport conference that was organised by the European Commission, in cooperation with the Latvian Presidency. Read more on the 2015 TEN-T days event here.