Portos do Paraná was once again the only port authority in the world invited to participate in the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change – COP26. As happened in 2019, in Madrid, Spain, only the public company from Paraná represents the sector at the event, in Glasgow, United Kingdom, between October 31st and November 12th.
The CEO of Portos do Paraná, Luiz Fernando Garcia, points out that the invitation to participate in COP26 is a form of recognition of the work developed by the public company in the environmental area. “We were, once again, the only port authority among all of the world to be invited to speak at a UN event. This demonstrates that, in addition to being recognized in Brazil as the best public port management by the Ministry of Infrastructure, we are also seen abroad for our work in the environmental area”, he explains.
Represented by the Environment Director, João Paulo Santana, the public company presented two panels at one of the official parallel events, both on November 3rd: the first on “Proven models that accelerate the progress of the entire industry to achieve climate goals and of food systems”; and the second with the theme “Defining the future of sustainable finance and social and environmental investments”, demonstrating the search for new alternatives for sustainable development.
According to Santana, Portos do Paraná’s mission at COP26 is to share with the world the actions being carried out on the coast of Paraná. “In particular, we are going to show the program for the Recovery of Degraded Areas (Prad), which is being implemented around the Bay of Paranaguá, in the municipality of Antonina,” he says. “At the same time, we are presenting a project that is coming out of the blue, the technical, economic and environmental feasibility study for the construction of a biodigesting plant for grains, in the Port of Paranaguá, with the objective of producing electricity and also biogas.”
He also says that the actions for the future will be shown to the event’s participants. “Finally, we present the signature of the letter of commitments that was signed with the Itaipu Technological Park, to carry out studies for the implementation of a green hydrogen plant inside the Port of Paranaguá”, says Santana.
ENERGY MATRIX – For the Director of Environment, the participation of Portos do Paraná is also necessary to accompany the discussions that are taking place worldwide, in particular with regard to financing changes in the planetary energy matrix.
“They are aware of the need to change our activities to use energy that does not come from fossil fuels, to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and reduce climate change on the planet”, emphasizes Santana.
PRESENTED PROJECTS
PRAD – Presented at COP25, the Degraded Areas Recovery Program (Prad) is already in operation around the bays of Paranaguá and Antonina, in partnership with the local community. In the basins of the Rio Cachoeira and the Rio Cacatu, the service is carried out through a catalog and dialogue with families whose properties have degraded areas, especially riparian forests.
The objective is to recover these sites and monitor how much sediment is avoided from being transported into the bay. In other words, Portos do Paraná is planning to reduce siltation through the recovery of riparian forest, which as it grows will contribute to carbon sequestration, hold sediment in place and, in the future, save on dredging.
BIODIGESTION PLANT – Another project presented at the conference is the construction of a biodigestion plant for organic waste at the Port of Paranaguá, fed with material that is currently swept from the port area and sent to the landfill. This product generates on-site greenhouse gases, in addition to releasing carbon during sweeping, transport and on-site disposal logistics.
The technical feasibility study is being prepared in partnership with the company CI Biogás, located within the non-profit Itaipu Binacional Technological Park, with expertise in feasibility studies for biogas plants.
For Santana, future projects are interspersed, since obtaining energy through biodigestion will generate digestate (biodigestion residue), which is expected to be used in the implementation of Prad in communities. “It will bring more biodiversity and prevent the bay from silting, reducing dredging in the future. These are permaculture and agroforestry practices that we are bringing into the port activity, as a way of mitigating the impacts of our activity”, explains the Director of Environment.
GREEN HYDROGEN – Portos do Paraná also presented another project underway at the Itaipu Technological Park, the so-called green hydrogen plants. A letter of commitment was signed for the development of the project.
The project involves technical, economic and environmental feasibility studies for the production of green hydrogen within the Port of Paranaguá, possibly through the implementation of solar panels.
The objective is to consume green hydrogen on site, in the port fleet or in the production of electricity, to deduct from the electricity bill. A study is being prepared on what will be the best use of the product.
OTHER PRACTICES – A presentation was also made regarding all environmental monitoring, which again generated recognition of the 2020 Environmental Development Index (IDA) through the recent award from the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq), which scored the Port of Paranaguá as the best-placed large public port on the subject in the country.
Source: Portos do Paraná
