RESULTS

DiGiTechPort2030 – Compiling the Green Energy Technology Compass for Small and Medium-Sized Ports (SMSPs)

Work Package 2: Preparingsmall for Green Energy Transition in SMSPs Ecosystems

The transition to green energy is no longer a future goal—it is a present necessity. Within the DiGiTechPort2030 initiative, Work Package 2 is dedicated to helping small and medium-sized ports (SMSPs) navigate this shift in a structured, informed, and effective way. A key result of this effort is the development of the Green Energy Technology Compass Methodology—a practical tool that enables ports to self-assess, plan, and progress on their green transformation journey.

SMSPs often face significant challenges in accessing external sustainability audits due to limited financial or human resources. To overcome this, the project introduced a structured self-assessment framework that allows ports to measure their readiness and identify opportunities across five critical areas:

• Strategic vision and planning
• Management commitment and knowledge
• Infrastructure and energy systems
• Operational processes and equipment
• External stakeholder influence and service integration

To ensure consistency and comparability across diverse port environments, a data filtering methodology was also created. This helps correct for subjective variation in self-assessments and enables reliable benchmarking among ports in the South Baltic Region and beyond.

Another key innovation of the project is the Green Energy Transformation Compass—a visual and analytical tool that captures a port’s position across these five dimensions and suggests tailored pathways for improvement. The Compass does not merely measure where a port stands today; it acts as a strategic guide toward lower emissions and greater sustainability. It supports SMSPs in planning upgrades, setting achievable green goals, and monitoring progress with reliable indicators such as emissions per tonne of cargo or per passenger served.

The methodology developed is grounded in real-world data collected from over 80 organizations involved in port operations, including port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, and energy technology providers. This collaborative effort has helped identify existing barriers—such as lack of funding, low ROI, limited expertise, and infrastructure constraints—and has offered a shared language and structure for tackling them through green innovation.

Ultimately, the work completed in this task supports ports not only in complying with evolving EU regulations like Fit for 55, but also in strengthening their long-term competitiveness, resilience to climate change, and role in sustainable transport systems. The Compass equips SMSPs with a practical roadmap to reduce their environmental footprint and foster innovation across the port ecosystem.

This work is an essential building block of the broader DiGiTechPort2030 vision—enabling ports to act as catalysts of green transformation in the maritime and logistics sectors of the South Baltic and across Europe.

You can read the full report here.