Port Esbjerg has established a new partnership with Atos to allow customers to pick the lowest carbon transport route available.
A first-of-its-kind partnership, the solution will calculate the carbon footprint of individual routes and individual modes of transport – whether by sea, rail or road.
The system also factors in the goods to be carried and will enable the individual customer to pursue proactive sustainability strategies by picking the route with the smallest carbon footprint.
Customers will be able to pick the routes with the smallest environmental impact and could achieve financial gain by way of lower excise duties.
It is expected that customers will enter relevant data into the system, such as departure location, final destination and type of goods, and will then be provided with an overview of the most optimal routes.
Port Esbjerg CEO Dennis Jul Petersen commented, “It’s relatively easy to calculate the carbon footprint when you ship goods from A to B.
“But identifying the best option – in terms of both mode of transport and route – wasn’t so simple. We aim to be a carbon-neutral port and therefore would also want to have an influence on the route network.
“The simulator that we’re developing will help our customers make green decisions, and there’s nothing like that anywhere in the world.”
Port Esbjerg CCO Jesper Bank told PTI in May 2021 that Port Esbjerg will work with Atos to build datasets at the EU level for transport modes through trains, freight ferries, and a variety of transport modes.
“It will not be a booking system, it will be a decision tool,” Bank said.
“As we envision right now, this will be available for all kind of levels and companies out there – and it might even show that a route through the Esbjerg is not the best way to go with CO2 emissions, which would be a fact for the customer.”
Invest in Denmark, the Danish national investment-promotion agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, reached out to global IT firm Atos as part of the Danish government’s commitments to reducing its carbon footprint.
Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jeppe Kofoed, added, “The collaboration between Atos and Port Esbjerg has the potential to make a huge difference to Esbjerg and contribute to creating additional green jobs in Denmark.
“I hope this constellation will be an inspiration to other ports in Europe.”
