Unique investment in Port of Gävle enables eco-driving for vessels

From February 2023, vessels can choose to lower their emissions during the entire journey to Port of Gävle from the continent. This is possible thanks to a unique queuing system, “Time Slot Gävle”, which is now mandatory for vessels calling at one of the seven terminals that use Port of Gävle’s energy quay. The goal of Time Slot Gävle is to enable vessels to reduce emissions through “eco-driving”.

Since 2017, Gävle Hamn AB, together with terminals and partners, has worked to make vessel calls more efficient and sustainable. Among other things, the work has led to one of the first mobile app’s for the exchange of information in real time between the organizations that collaborate around vessel calls. “Port Activity App” was developed in collaboration with the Swedish Maritime Administration, Port of Rauma, Satakunta University and the Finnish Transport Agency. The app has now been used for almost two years by the actors in Port of Gävle. Time Slot Gävle is a continuation of that work. Port of Gävle has been developing the queuing system for vessels over three years in close cooperation with the port’s seven energy terminals, with the support of the Swedish Energy Agency and in partnership with Tärntank Ship Management, Preem and the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.

- It’s fantastic that we are finally up and running, says Niklas Hermansson, Head of Traffic and Safety at Gävle Hamn AB. With the app, we optimized the vessels’ turn-around in the port area. The cool thing about Time Slot Gävle is that we can influence the entire journey to the port from, for example Netherlands, Poland, or the Swedish west coast. We make it possible for all vessels on their way here to choose eco-driving.

The queuing system changes the regulations for calls to Port of Gävle and replaces the old “first-come-first-served” system that has been used for hundreds of years by the industry all over the world for calls to ports where quays are shared by several terminals. The new regulations make it possible for vessels to plan their calls better and reduce speed during the journey. In this way, the environment can save large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. The vessels apply for queue slots in Port Activity App and the app also verifies the scheduled times with automatic vessel positioning data.

It sounds simple but the system is both unique and revolutionary in a traditional industry with many international actors working together in complex transport chains.

Claes Möller, CEO at Tärntank Ship Management, was one of the initiators of the Time Slot project.

- We already use slow-steaming between Preem’s own terminals, says Claes Möller. Through the Time Slot project, we can also reduce emissions when traveling to ports with quays shared between several terminals. It enables great environmental benefits!

Gävle Hamn AB has a vision that the port should be a gapminder for green transition.

- We hope to inspire more ports to introduce similar systems, says Linda Astner, Head of Sustainability at Gävle Hamn AB. Shipping is a good example of how important it is that we work with interfaces between organizations and system connections. Everyone wants to change, but we need to work together to remove the obstacles. We have learned a lot through the cooperation within Time Slot Gävle. Together, we have also come a small step closer to our shared climate goals.

For more information contact:

Linda Astner, Head of Sustainability, Gävle Hamn AB
Email: linda.astner@gavlehamn.se
Phone: +46 70 623 38 41