Renewable Energies Integration in Electrification for Chilean Smartports - Challenges and Case Study

This paper analyses and discusses the environmental impact of integrating renewable energies in the operation of seaports in a context in which maritime activities are an important contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis performed in this work is structured as follows: first, the implementation of smartport microgrids is discussed as an important strategy to control seaports because its design facilitates the integration of different technologies such as cold ironing and distributed energy resources. In this context, reaching a proper integration of cold ironing and renewable energy technologies is essential in the process of reducing pollution levels. Secondly, the main challenges of implementing these technologies are discussed, covering the economic, technical, and environmental aspects. Here, Chile’s lack of proper normative is an important problem that must be addressed to incentivise projects for sustainable smartport implementations. Finally, this work presents a case study where a smartport with cold ironing and renewable energy facilities is designed for the port in Puerto Montt, Chile. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the smartport strategy for reducing emissions and operational costs. Still, this kind of strategy usually requires higher investments due to the inclusion of renewable energy facilities.