Montreal Port Decarbonization

MGTP required a proper accounting of their carbon footprint as well as information and guidance on opportunities to dramatically reduce their emissions. 

Secondary issues include ensuring cost competitiveness over the long term while ensuring on-site safety and vehicle asset life extension. 

Businesses, including ports, are decarbonizing globally. Most emissions at ports are due to the operational activities of the port operators through different equipment such as light duty vehicles, stackers, forklifts, reach trucks and cranes. A precise emissions accounting is needed to identify the best approaches for reducing them. 

Norda Stelo was best positioned to support MGTP in this work thanks to a combination of proven know-how. Indeed, its expertise in GHG inventories, knowledge of port operations, understanding of operational efficiency and logistics opportunities, as well as its mastery of zero-emission fleet technology and ability to leverage vehicle electrification to generate revenue, meant that it was able to cover several angles of the project and work effectively. 

Norda Stelo was able to put forward innovative ideas thanks to its expertise in site-to-port logistics and its understanding of the opportunities for aggregated revenue generation in the market through fleet electrification. Scenarios were also proposed to enable the MGTP to best position itself for different plausible outcomes. 

The ISO 14064, standard for greenhouse gas inventories, was used to determine the emissions in scope 1 to 3 of MGTP‘s activities. A life cycle analysis approach was used to identify the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. A new structure was then put in place to identify and characterize emission reduction opportunities specific to a port facility. 

Norda Stelo took a step-by-step approach, first determining how fleet logistics could be optimized to reduce emissions while saving on fuel costs. Next, available low-carbon technology options were identified, followed by emerging technologies for future planning.   

Different scenarios were proposed so that the MGTP could best position itself according to the evolution of technological options. 

While the GHG reduction strategy was prioritized to identify operational efficiencies that would save costs, Norda Stelo also provided novel concepts for revenue generation through electrification.  

All reduction options have been proposed considering the emerging technologies that the MGTP will need to integrate at some point. The MGTP is thus able to think about how to “future-proof” its activities so that it can be ready when zero-emission technologies become more widely available. 

This study helps lead the way in best practice for quantifying emissions and identifying deep reduction options.

• Environment, Climate Change and Community (GHG inventory and life cycle analysis)