Puertos del Estado and CLIA reaffirm their commitment to sustainability

Madrid, January 20, 2022 – The president of Puertos del Estado, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, and the director of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Spain, Alfredo Serrano Chacón, have reaffirmed the commitment of both institutions to sustainability during a presentation held at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid.

In the event, attended by numerous representatives from the port community and the cruise industry, Rodríguez and Serrano outlined some of the sustainability initiatives driven by ports and cruise companies.

Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, the president of Puertos del Estado, thanked the Port Authorities for promoting sustainability and eco-proactivity in their facilities and traffic, including cruises. He emphasized their significance as key elements outlined in the new Strategic Framework of the port system, on the verge of approval, which will define the ports of the future.

Rodríguez Dapena explained the sustainability projects undertaken by Spanish ports, such as promoting the use of alternative energies in maritime transport, primarily liquefied natural gas (LNG). He also highlighted the OPS MasterPlan for Spanish Ports project, funded by the European Union, aiming to supply electric power to ships berthed in Spanish ports. Successful feasibility studies have been conducted in ports including A Coruña, Santander, Cádiz, Málaga, S.C. de Tenerife, and Valencia.

He further elaborated on the joint project with IAPH and CLIA, named "Cruise Emissions at Berth," which aims to standardize globally the information that cruise ships must provide to estimate emissions at berth. The goal is to agree on a common methodology for estimating these emissions. This pilot project will be developed over the next two years and is extendable to other fleets from 2024. It is endorsed by major cruise ports worldwide, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Hamburg, Rotterdam, as well as Spanish ports Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.

Alfredo Serrano, the director of CLIA in Spain, highlighted the major advancements made by the industry in areas related to atmospheric emissions, solid and liquid waste management, and energy efficiency and decarbonization.

Serrano emphasized that the cruise industry "is committed to the goals established by the International Maritime Organization to reduce CO2 emissions and supports the long-term objectives of the European Green Deal." He also stressed the "need for new and alternative fuels and overcoming technological, logistical/distribution, and regulatory challenges."