Total management tool oriented to carbon footprint reduction in terminals of containers

摘要

Port terminals, together with inland terminals, must assume as their own the strategic need for environmental sustainability of the facilities, without losing sight that sustainable development should be based on other two fundamental foundations: safety and cost efficiency. There is wide research on calculating the carbon footprint and methodologies aimed at their reduction, but global tools that propose solutions and operational changes, taking into account process efficiency and safety are lacking. This paper shows the development and implementation of a methodology addressed to managers of terminals of containers and port authorities that allows the selection of Container Handling Equipment (CHE) that best fits the characteristics and needs of each terminal, removing the not viable alternatives according to its specific boundary conditions. The methodology is based on the fact that the kind of CHE used in the terminal defines the design of the layout, with a direct incidence on the environmental impact, the safety and the cost efficiency associated to the facility. This methodology evaluates by means of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) the layouts linked to straddle carriers, forklifts, reach stackers, platforms and gantry cranes. To make easy the implementation of the methodology, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been developed considering four different scenarios: (i) port terminals, (ii) port terminals storing dangerous goods, (iii) inland terminals and (iv) inland terminals storing dangerous goods. This GUI may be applied to both newly constructed facilities and for the management of change of operative ones. Furthermore, it allows the extension of the expert board required, constituting a constantly updated database.