Xiamen port honored as Asia-Pacific Green Port

Xiamen Hairun container terminal was honored as the 2018 Asia-Pacific Green Port by the international organization APEC Port Service Network (APSN) during a port connectivity forum held in Singapore from Nov 15 to 16.

Over the past year, the terminal has ramped up its efforts to reduce energy consumption and improve automation.

The shore power supply systems are adopted at Hairun terminal to help berthed container ships keep delivering cargos after shutting down their oil-fed generators, the gantry cranes at the container yard are driven by electricity instead of oil and intelligent lock entrances are used to reduce the passing time of trailers from 90 seconds to 26s.

Additionally, all-electric patrol cars and forklifts, sewage treatment stations and air quality monitoring stations were also put into operation at Hairun terminal.

A spokesman for Xiamen Container Terminal Group, owner of the Hairun terminal, said that Xiamen ports are expected to contribute not only to the city's economic development, but to its green development by saving energy and reducing emissions.

To date, a total of 136 gantry cranes at the terminals owned by the Xiamen group have been driven by electricity, which can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 29,000 tons and save more than 38 million yuan ($5.5 million) each year.

The group's other six terminals have established 49 intelligent lock entrances, which are capable of reducing the fuel costs generated by waiting for trailers by 34 million yuan each year.

The APSN, founded in Nov 2008, is dedicated to promoting ports development and cooperation in the Asian-Pacific region. In 2016, the international organization launched the Green Green Port Award System (GPAS) with the aim of dealing with the global energy crisis and environmental deterioration.

To date, a total of 23 terminals from the Asian-Pacific region have received such an honor.