Atlantic Blue Port Services - Discharge polluted water in port, not at sea

The EU Port Reception Facility directive obliges ports to provide adequate port reception facilities, ships delivering waste in the port and recommends a cost recovery system as an incentive. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has also developed a Port Reception Facility database, a user service. The IMO Ballast Water Management Convention entered into force on September 2017, but despite regulations, discharge at sea is still practiced. Port users complain about the variability, cost and lack of adequate port discharge facilities.

@BLUEPORTS aims to provide a practical support to the European Sustainable Shipping Forum/European Maritime Safety Agency, using the Atlantic Area as a physical platform and its maritime community as a resource to design, prototype, test and demonstrate the “ideal” Port Reception Facility and services for oiled and ballast water (as first concern). The overall goal is to raise awareness and motivation within the maritime community to stop discharge at sea by designing in consensus the "Blue Port Services" for 2020 and beyond.

The project will create a cooperation framework and network for all parties by addressing users, providers and policy makers. The project emphasizes innovation in techniques, to reduce operation time, in financial instruments to facilitate investment and adjust service costs and in user friendly booking services.

Project partners

• Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Métropolitaine Bretagne Occidentale - Lead partner (FR);
• DAMEN GREEN SOLUTIONS (NL);
• Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES);
• Marine South East (UK);
• AUTORIDAD PORTUARIA DE SEVILLA (ES);
• Bentley Systems International Limited - Portugese branch (PT);
• AUTORIDAD PORTUARIA DE GIJÓN (ES);
• Port of Cork (IE);
• Liverpool John Moores University (UK);
• Mersey Maritime (UK);
• Autoridad Portuaria de Las Palmas (ES);
• LUNAGUA (ES);
• Eco-Oil, Tratamento de Águas Contaminadas S.A (PT);
• Administraçao dos Portos da Regiao Autonoma da Madeira (PT);
• SeaTopic (FR).