The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), in collaboration with the Region of Crete and Crete Valley, hosted a seminar on “Navigating the Future: Maritime Ports as Catalysts for the Energy Transition in Peripheral Maritime Regions” in Heraklion, Crete on 5-6 November 2024. This event provided a vital forum for discussions on European transport and energy priorities. With a spotlight on the resilience and transformation of maritime ports, it attracted prominent leaders and experts to address the evolving role of ports as energy hubs within Europe’s energy and climate goals, especially in light of recent EU policy shifts such as the revised TEN-T network and upcoming CEF III budget.
Professor Theocharis Tsoutsos, director of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Lab (ReSEL) at the Technical University of Crete and BLUE PORTS coordinator, joined a panel discussion on Ports as Hubs for Energy Security and Decarbonisation. Professor Tsoutsos highlighted the ongoing achievements of the BLUE PORTS project, which aims to strengthen the skills of the human capital, towards the green transition of island ports through sustainable practices. He emphasised the project’s innovative approaches in integrating sustainable energy technologies and alternative fuels into port operations, particularly through its training and certification scheme.
The seminar also featured two other representatives of the BLUE PORTS consortium; Minas Papadakis, CEO of the Heraklion Port Authority, in the same panel as Professor Tsoutsos, and Nino Bagdavadze, Head of International Relations Division of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, who addressed the critical issue of resilience in maritime ports. In this frame, a live TV interview was broadcast on TV Creta, featured at the central news on November 5th, showcasing the BLUE PORTS Scheme scope, approach and key benefits for the port sector.
