In the air or at sea: how investments in transportation ports can support a transition to net-zero goals

A year ago, the World Economic Forum released a statement on the necessary investments in airport infrastructure that they deemed were necessary to support hydrogen and electrification of the aircraft industry by 2050. According to the report, global demand would require airport infrastructure to support carbon-free propulsion options as early as 2025, with these aircrafts accounting for up to 38 per cent of all flights by 2050. Globally, the report highlighted a need ranging from $700-billion to upwards of $1.7-trillion in investments. Airport electrification will require new configuration and design to account for hydrogen liquefaction and storage, including additional land which is something most airports globally will struggle with accommodating. These investments are also necessary largely in off-airport infrastructure, including energy storage, which will require significant cross-sectoral partnerships. These partnerships could be further fuelled by federal investments with policies and programs incentivizing partnerships as a means to encourage the energy transition within the airport industry. In many countries, investments in airports signal a connection to a country’s ambitions and desires. In the Canadian landscape, airports lease land and recoup costs from airlines and passengers, with many airports contributing positively to local and regional economies. Now the industry is expected to modernize its approach to support a net-zero economy, which is something that could ultimately cripple an industry that sits on precarious ground already. Post-pandemic, Canada’s airports faced significant cost-cutting in the face of extreme debt as a result of significant borrowing during and pandemic lockdowns. The industry is already laden with debt, and is largely unprepared for the electrification models that the World Economic Forum has been championing. But airports are not the only commercial transportation industry impacted by the push to net-zero targets. Ocean-based ports support the more than 90 per cent of global trade that rely on ships as the most cost-effective means of transporting goods. According to recent reports, without sustained investments to support an energy transition, shipping emissions could increase up to 130 per cent by 2050. And while we typically focus discussions on zero-emission transport vehicles, ocean port-side electricity and clean fuel infrastructure investments are necessary to support a zero-emission marine industry. Investments in ocean ports infrastructure would significantly reduce emissions from ships at-berth through the use of shore power (whereby a ship plugs into the electricity grid, turning off their diesel-powered engines). Advocacy agencies, like Oceans North, have called for a mandated use of shore power for all vessel by 2030, and have further called on Canada to develop regulatory measures requiring at-berth connections for all vessel types. This requires investments in our ocean-port infrastructure to support these at-berth connections. It’s not simply the transformation of port-side infrastructure that will support the energy transition; investments in ocean ports can also support Canadian ports in becoming hubs for the distribution of low- or zero-emission fuels. Recent investments like the Green Shipping Corridor Program are important ways to support the decarbonizations of the marine sector, but will require significant additional investments in order to be successful. The Clean Ports Stream of the funding program commits only $127.2-million over four years to port-side infrastructure. Increased investments in ocean ports and enhanced regulations are the only way to support the necessary energy transition in the marine industry. Federal investments in ports—whether air or marine—have direct impacts on the economy, supporting a diverse supply chain and bolstering economic activity across the nation. But investments need to also be supported by flexible funding agreements that allow for industry partnerships, and ease the burden of infrastructure investments through creative equity partnerships or joint ventures. These funding investments need to be timely and quick in order to achieve ambitious climate goals. Canada’s air and marine ports are critical to achieving net-zero targets, but they will require significant investment if we want to achieve these targets by 2030. Kerry Black, PhD, PEng, is an assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in the department of civil engineering at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering. Her work focuses on sustainable infrastructure and community development.

In the air or at sea: how investments in transportation ports can support a transition to net-zero goals

Airports are not the only commercial transportation industry impacted by the push to net-zero targets. Ocean-based ports support the over 90 per cent of global trade that rely on ships as the most cost-effective means of transporting goods.

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In the air or at sea: how investments in transportation ports can support a transition to net-zero goals

Airports are not the only commercial transportation industry impacted by the push to net-zero targets. Ocean-based ports support the over 90 per cent of global trade that rely on ships as the most cost-effective means of transporting goods.

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