Port of Keelung Dedicated to Environmental Sustainability and Year-round Pollution Prevention and Control
Port of Keelung, TIPC has consistently prioritized the maintenance of sanitary facilities and conditions in areas under its jurisdiction to ensure navigation safety and port environmental quality. Key measures include expanding coverage of the port's low-voltage shore power supply network, reducing in-harbor vessel speeds, promoting vessel use of 0.5% very-low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), and 24/7 monitoring to enforce environmental pollution prevention and reduction mandates. These and other related efforts are expected to help optimally balance port business development with environmental conservation priorities and earn steady progress toward achieving United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.
Port of Keelung occupies a high-profile, highly urbanized harbor area where several local river systems meet the sea. Port sanitation boats and shoreline sanitation staff are on the job every day clearing garbage from harbor waters and preventing garbage in the city's four river outlets from entering the harbor. Larger abandoned objects such as oyster rafts and ship bumpers receive emergency attention and clearance action. An average of 80 tons of garbage has been removed from Port of Keelung harbor waters annually over the past three years. The roughly 5 tons of pumice from a volcanic eruption in Japan's Ogasawara island chain removed from harbor waters between December 2021 and May 2022 were recycled and used in ongoing land reclamation activity at Taipei Port's South Wharf District.
In addition to keeping harbor waters clean, road sanitation is another important pollution-prevention activity at Port of Keelung. In 2022 alone, mechanical street sweepers and sprinkler trucks have respectively logged 6,000km and 11,000km of cleaning activity on port and port-adjacent roadways, effectively suppressing an estimated 35mt of dust and other particulates. With regard to increasing the use of renewables at the port, 9,000m2 of solar panels have already been installed on port warehouse buildings capable of generating up to 975 kWp of electricity.
On the business sustainability front. Port of Keelung has actively partnered with other agencies and organizations on environmental sustainability initiatives. For example, under the “Keelung City Water Environment Improvement” program, the port has partnered with Keelung City Bureau of Environmental Protection to strengthen monitoring and cleanup of the coastal environment. The port is also working with the Bureau on air quality monitoring, promoting air-quality protection zones, and diesel-powered heavy vehicle emissions monitoring and control. Also, in cooperation with the national Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), the port is installing a new low-voltage shore power supply system at West Wharf No. 2 that is expected to effectively reduce 48.1mt of NOx, 46.8mt of SO2, and 5.7mt of PM10 particulate emissions annually at the port. Furthermore, Port of Keelung is working with National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU) and Yang Ming Cultural Foundation to certify the new Keelung Environmental Education Center and develop related educational activities.
In parallel with its efforts related to environmental sustainability, Port of Keelung is aggressively building sustainability into its everyday business practices. Adding value as a sustainable and reliable engine of city growth and prosperity, the port has renovated its historical warehouse cluster (East District Warehouses 3 and 4) as a reception facility for cruise/ferry passengers and port visitors, and repositioned the renovated Keelung Port Administration Building as the East District Passenger Center. These projects have given a new spacious and visually appealing look to the port, better woven the port and cityscape together, and created a green platform for continued port-city cooperation and prosperity grounded in green port, ESG, and SDG ideals.
Provided by:Occupational Health & Safety Dept., Port of Keelung, TIPC
Contact Person: Teh-chin Ho, Director
Telephone No.:02-24206237
E-mail Address:if4782@twport.com.tw