Renewable Energy Supply... Busan Port Discusses Greenhouse Gas Reduction Measures

Busan Port Authority Holds
'Sustainable Port Decarbonization Briefing'
for Busan Port Terminal Operators

Busan Port Authority (BPA), led by President Song Sang-geun, held an 'Operator Briefing for Sustainable Port Decarbonization Policy' at the BPA headquarters on December 23.

This briefing was targeted at operators designated as greenhouse gas emission allowance entities and target management companies within Busan Port. It was organized to explore systematic management and reduction measures for greenhouse gas emissions generated at Busan Port.

In 2023, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries designated Busan Port terminal operators as the first greenhouse gas target management companies in the port sector, marking the official implementation of government policies for greenhouse gas reduction at Busan Port. Currently, a total of seven terminal operators have been designated as subjects of the Emissions Trading Scheme or the Target Management System and are operating accordingly.

During the briefing, discussions were held on ways to activate the supply of renewable energy by utilizing idle land within Busan Port. In September, BPA signed a business agreement with SK Innovation Co., Ltd. to cooperate on the development and supply of renewable energy projects as well as support for related permits and approvals.

The direction for building the Busan Port Carbon Neutrality Support Platform and the current status of its Proof of Concept (PoC), both of which are being promoted to realize a carbon-neutral smart port, were also introduced.

Busan Port Authority plans to use this platform to support the efficiency of greenhouse gas management work, enable real-time monitoring and identification of greenhouse gas reduction projects based on port operations, and secure carbon emission allowances.

Next year, after identifying detailed action items through collaboration with terminal operators, the authority plans to support the efficiency of greenhouse gas management work and begin full-scale platform construction starting in 2027.

PoC (Proof of Concept) refers to the process of verifying the technical feasibility of a system in its early development stage.

Additionally, the briefing introduced private cooperation projects and the sea forest carbon trading project, both of which are to be promoted by the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA) to expand the use of blue carbon.

Blue carbon refers to carbon absorbed and stored by marine and coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and tidal flats from the atmosphere.

Since first establishing the Busan Port 2050 Carbon Neutrality Master Plan in October 2023, BPA has been striving to achieve 'energy independence for Busan Port and carbon neutrality by 2050.'

Song Sang-geun, President of Busan Port Authority, emphasized, "BPA is actively pursuing a variety of decarbonization policies with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality at Busan Port by 2050, and mutual cooperation between BPA and operators is extremely important for this. We will strengthen our cooperation system with operators by holding regular meetings and other initiatives."