Another year of strong bonds formed among members

Like Cupid, Green Marine sparks encounters that often lead to wonderful synergies.

On this Valentine's Day, for the second year in a row, Green Marine is presenting a few of the ‘matches’ made among the program’s members that have led to innovative collaborations and initiatives. With more than 450 members rallying around the same goals, Green Marine presents numerous opportunities for new and evolving relationships to advance the maritime industry’s sustainable development.

Here’s a look back at some these 'love stories' among Green Marine’s participants, supporters and partners, working closely together to improve the industry’s environmental performance.

SAAM Towage, Neptune Terminals, and Robert Allan Ltd. expect twin electric tugs

SAAM Towage and Neptune Terminals have signed an agreement with Teck Resources Limited to deploy Canada’s first two open-market electric tugs at the Port of Vancouver next year.

The new tugs are designed by Robert Allan Ltd., a Vancouver-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm, that joined Green Marine as a partner in November 2022. The ElectRA 2300SX tugs will be powered by two separate Li-ion battery energy storage systems, and will have their batteries recharged using British Columbia’s hydroelectric power grid.

Together, the two 23-metre (almost 75½-foot) tugs can reduce greenhouse gases by 2,400 tonnes annually when used at full capacity.

The Port of Seattle and Aquarium: lovers of kelp forests

The Port of Seattle (a Green Marine participant) is collaborating with the Seattle Aquarium, a Green Marine supporter, to study and map the presence of kelp forests along Elliott Bay’s urban waterfront.

Located in Elliott Bay as well as the West and East Waterways of Seattle’s harbourfront, the large marine algae serve a vital role in the Salish Sea’s ecosystem. Kelp beds provide food, habitat and refuge for many species of fish, birds and marine mammals. Additionally, kelp absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, reducing ocean acidification impacts.

The study aims to increase the understanding of the conditions in which bull kelp exists in urban areas to better inform effective conservation and restoration efforts occurring throughout Puget Sound. The port is providing access to the area identified for study. The Seattle Aquarium's staff will use the latest research technology, including a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and artificial intelligence, to gather data and translate results.

Stratégies Saint-Laurent and the Port of Québec work hand in hand to clean up St. Lawrence shorelines

As part of the St. Lawrence Challenge and Operation St. Lawrence of Stratégies Saint-Laurent (SSL), a Green Marine supporter, some 20 employees of the Port of Québec (a Green Marine participant) worked to clean up the banks of the port territory.

Held in tandem with World Cleanup Day (September 17, 2022), this SSL-led initiative aimed to reduce the footprint of plastic waste in the river, which has an impact on the quality of the water and the ecosystem of the St. Lawrence.

Accompanied by two Green Marine employees, employees from the Port of Quebec, SSL and the Augustine Monastery in Quebec City cleaned up the banks of Brown Cove. In total, they removed 387 kilograms (853 pounds) of garbage from the shoreline and surrounding woods!

Green Marine plays Cupid to unite Réseau Québec Maritime and the Port of Sept-Îles in a co-creation project

Green Marine’s new community relations indicator calls upon ports at the top Level 5 criteria to use the innovative approach of co-creation in undertaking and completing a project.

As the concept of co-creation is relatively new to the maritime sector, Green Marine approached the Réseau Québec maritime (a Green Marine supporter) to participate in a project related to the indicator. The RQM, an organization focused on encouraging responsible, sustainable maritime development, had previously been involved in the funding and development of co-creation projects related to the marine environment without a specific focus on marine transportation.

Subsequent discussions eventually led to the Réseau Québec maritime funding a project that would have co-creation experts help a port in the Province of Quebec to establish the steps for an actual co-creation initiative. Green Marine put out the call and the Port of Sept-Îles (a Green Marine participant) responded.

“We decided to work on the public access to the waterfront in the port’s city sector from the start of our property, where the City of Sept-Îles last built a pedestrian walkway, all the way to the area that includes our dock for visiting cruise ships,” says Manon D'Auteuil, Director of Engineering and Sustainable Development at the Port of Sept-Îles, who had also participated in the initial co-creation training.

In addition to accommodating cruise ships and other types of vessels, the wharves are accessible to the public for fishing and recreational activities. "We had to establish a clear framework for the co-creation initiative because the wharves have to perform certain functions and meet certain safety regulations," says D'Auteuil.

The first step by the Port of Sept-Îles has been to identify all the people, organizations, as well as agencies that might want or need a say in the project. Eventually, the process gave way to a series of smaller and larger gatherings of the port authority and stakeholders throughout last summer and fall that encourage them to collaborate on different possible scenarios for developing public waterfront access.

Green Marine will use the pilot project as a case study to test and refine the program’s co-creation guidelines. “The Port of Sept-Îles project will also serve as an example that we hope will inspire other participations to try the co-creation process,” adds Véronique Trudeau, Program Director at Green Marine.

Love in the air between Port Fourchon and SailPlan

Louisiana's southernmost port will be the first in the world to have an accurate 360° view of its emissions, thanks to a partnership between the Greater Lafourche Port Commission (a Green Marine participant) and SailPlan (a Green Marine partner) to deploy emissions measurement technology throughout the port.

“We’re really excited to partner with SailPlan to get a full view of the port’s emissions footprint using its innovative technology,” says GLPC’s Executive Director Chett Chiasson.

Once deployed, the new technology will measure and relate the Port's direct and indirect emissions and air quality data in real time. By identifying the exact location and source of emissions, the port will be able to identify areas of concern and take further steps to mitigate emissions through decarbonization strategies, such as working to expand the plug-in power capabilities of vessels that regularly call on the port.

In addition to having sensors to measure overall port emissions, the GLPC partnership with SailPlan will ultimately involve the installation of sensors to monitor the emissions from individual terminals, as well as the exposure of port emissions to nearby residents. If the air quality becomes unhealthy for the local community, the port will promptly receive an alert from the system and recommendations for immediate action to remedy the situation.

Read more 'love stories' among Green Marine members: