Port Development and the Environment Historical context
Dates back to 1613
•Trust Port - Constituted by the Belfast Harbour Act 1847 and subsequent various Harbour Acts and Orders 1847-2002
•Purpose to operate, maintain and improve the Port of Belfast on behalf of its stakeholders Evolution of Belfast Harbour
175018471887191719421945194819641968197319852009 The Port has been created through land reclamation
Victoria Channel
RSPB
Nature Area Belfast Harbour today Scale
• 2,000 acres of land • 1,000 acres of water • 195 acres of conservation area • 7km quays • 32km roads • 900 Businesses within the Harbour Estate • 17,000 People working in Harbour Estate Market Share
• Port handled 16.5m tonnes of cargo in 2008
• 60% of Northern Ireland’s Seaborne trade and 20% of the entire island’s.
• Total value of traffic passing through the Port of Belfast in 2008 >£20bn. Economic Contribution
Port of Belfast supports:
• 187,000 jobs – 26.8% of NI workforce
• 30.7% of the region’s total economic value (£7.4bn)
• 17,000 jobs, 2.4% of NI total, located within the Harbour Estate
• £11.2m or 8.1% of total Belfast City Council’s rates revenue Projected Growth
Belfast Port Throughput 40
30 Million 20 Tonnes
10
0 1990 2006 2025 Assumption: NI economy catches up on UK economy by 2025 Economists project 109% increase in Port tonnage Port Development
• Economists project a doubling of Belfast Port throughput by 2025
• Technology is driving towards bigger ships requiring new quays with deep water
• Additional port land required
• Impact of credit crunch?? Port Development
Special Protection Area
Victoria Channel
RSPB
Nature Area BHC Continuous Improvement Model
Commitment& Policy
Review & Improvement Planning
Measurement & Evaluation
Implementation Tools – Integrated Management System (IMS)
• Systematic process to align organizational & H,S & E objectives – based on ISO14001 and OHSAS 18001 Standards • Structured approach for managing H,S & E responsibilities • Consistent measure of H,S & E performance Identify & resolve root causes of problems Prevent accidents, ill health & pollution, conserve energy & natural resources Tools – Integrated Management System (IMS)
• Drives compliance by integrating H,S & E management into the overall business model
• Adopts industrial symbiosis & ecosystem approach
• Proactive versus reactive on H,S & E issues Process
Identify port H,S & E H,S & E “self diagnosis” priorities & risks
Develop & implement Research, benchmarking solutions & co-operation
Monitor improvements H,S & E performance indicators
Demonstrate H,S & E Certification competence
Achieve continuous Move beyond compliance improvement Safety and Environmental Management
• Achieved certification to OHSAS 18001: 2007
• CarbonNeutral® certified: 1 January 2008
• ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) accreditation: 2008 Top 10 Environmental Issues
•Climate Change •Air Quality •Dredging & dredging •Waste reception & disposal recycling •Port development •Noise & nuisance •Oil spill prevention & •Biodiversity & habitat response management •Hazardous Cargoes •Contaminated land Environmental Management
• Ongoing compliance with current and future environmental requirements
• More Recently: – Biodiversity targets – Carbon Footprint – Climate Change
• Sustainable Port Development
• Partnership approach Challenges
Delivering the necessary additional Port capacity while meeting Environmental needs: – Reducing carbon emissions – Adapting to climate change – Birds & habitats – Inter-tidal zone – Biodiversity – Water, air & ground quality and simultaneously satisfying commercial requirements Sustainable Development Approaches
• Innovative design of new facilities to best meet H,S & E needs
• Carbon budgeting
• Replacement of habitats
• Achieving behavioural change The Legal Challenge
UK National and NI Regional Legislation
>350
Industrial Noise Directive Air Quality Directive Waste Directive Water Framework Directive Birds & Habitats Directives Water Framework Daughter Directive EC Seaports Policy Motorways of the Sea Security Regulations Marine Spatial Planning Port Safety Regulations Maritime Green Paper Environmental Liability Directive Marpol
International Conventions and Treaties
And IMO Advantages of self - regulation
• Anticipate & prepare for new legislation • Develop legal framework based on best practice • Optimise the most cost effective solutions • Better understand our own H,S & E performance • Develop better relations with regulators and other stakeholders Towards a solution
• Proper infrastructure planning will ensure an appropriate level of H,S & E protection
• The best opportunities for minimising the impact of port development on people and the environment exist in the planning & design phases
• Greater recognition of the long term commercial advantages of fully integrating H,S & E management strategies into port management required
• Behavioural change is critical! In a changing environment Traditional port activities Community development CITY QUAYS The company shall comply at all times with the instructions contained within the current issue of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners booklet “Important Thank you!