Greener port calls on the horizon
The PortCall Zero project has been awarded through the NWO Perspectief programme. Led by Frederik Schulte from TU Delft and supported by 16 partners, this project aims to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions in port activities using AI and electric shore power.
Convergence AI Port Center is a collaboration between Delft University of Technology (TUD) and Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and partners, on the use of AI technologies in the port environment.
About the PortCall.Zero project
Ships waiting offshore are a familiar sight for those who have visited the beaches near Rotterdam or The Hague. “We call this phenomenon ‘rush and wait,’” explains Frederik Schulte, assistant professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. “Ships burn enormous amounts of fuel to reach their destination as quickly as possible, only to then wait for permission to enter the port. This practice contributes to global emissions equivalent to the annual CO2 output of the entire Netherlands.”
One way PortCall.Zero aims to eliminate this inefficiency is by adopting a ‘just-in-time’ strategy, ensuring ships arrive precisely when they can be serviced. “This requires better collaboration between all parties,” says Frederik. “Think of pilots, tugboat crews, traffic controllers, port authorities, terminal operators, and many others. At present, data sharing between these stakeholders is not always optimal.”
Federated AI for efficient port operations
To improve this collaboration, PortCall.Zero plans to implement a federated AI approach. Frederik elaborates: “This is a technology where multiple systems work together to train AI models without sharing their data centrally. The model is improved locally, enhancing both privacy and efficiency.” He also aims to design a virtual queue system for ships, using insights from this technology to reduce real-world waiting times.
Electric shore power and alternative fuels
In addition to reducing waiting times, the project focuses on greening energy use in ports. Docked ships currently rely heavily on polluting diesel generators. PortCall.Zero seeks to transition ships to electric shore power. “We also want to introduce and promote alternative fuels, such as methanol and ammonia,” adds Frederik.
By the end of the five-year project, the goal is for all berths in the ports of Rotterdam and Moerdijk to operate seamlessly on 100% electric shore power. “By reducing port-related emissions, we could save billions of euros annually. And the project solutions for electric shore power and alternative fuel operations will, over time, help to close the cost gap to conventional and more polluting technologies.”
Broad and transdisciplinary collaboration
PortCall.Zero is a large-scale project led by TU Delft, with 16 collaborative partners, including Erasmus University Rotterdam, Leiden University, the Port of Rotterdam, and Maersk. The funding from NWO will allow eight researchers to be appointed.
With a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 150 million tonnes by 2030 and achieving a fully net-zero maritime sector by 2050, PortCall.Zero contributes to international climate goals. “We want to demonstrate that decarbonising port operations is not only essential, but also practically achievable,” concludes Frederik.