Circular City Ports - Workbook 1, Circular initiatives in the Delta

City-port context of Duisburg
1 Description of location in relation to other
(sea/) ports
“Duisport” is the largest inland container port in the
world. Being responsible for 30% of Germany’s total
foreign direct investment, it juggles 30 million
consumers that spend €600 billion, has access to
300,000 companies within a 150km radius, and has
connection to 80 destinations in Europe, Asia, and
360 freight trains a week
2 Description of current activities
Throughout the last decades, the port of Duisburg
has experienced the growth of inland freight distribution
required an increase of flows. The port is
strategically fitting into regional economic geography
by being the link between the region of the
Rhine-Ruhr and the global chain supply.
3 Description demographic/socio-economic
dynamics.
The investment and strategies taking place in
the port of Duisburg are strictly related to climate
change issue. The aim of the port authority is to develop
the port role to a more international leading
logistical intermodal platform. The port has a strong
influence on the economic activities taking place in
the city and around the port, creating around 500
employees active in several related organisations.
4 Why, and in what way is circularity looked at?
The Port of Duisburg has been developing its infrastructure
and has been tending to conform with
climate change and decrease impacts of climate
change on a local level. This has been the levers to
start up conversations and collaborations between
different stakeholders including individuals, civil society,
the science community, economical actors,
and public administration. The port is involved in the
creation of a climate change litigation strategy, im-
From heavy industries to smart logistic - 59
Strategic location at the confluence of the
Ruhr and the Rhine
plementing constantly the regime of industrial ecology.
5 Who gives substance to this, which partnerships/programmes/initiatives
are made?
The port management started to strategies around
different strategic location within the port area, which
were providing differentiated ecosystem services.
At the same time, many local logistic actors started
to change working toward more sustainable way of
actions. Sustainable logistic in part of the business
model of “Duisport”, linking technical innovation and
sustainable solutions starting to build up ecological
transportation chains.
6 Is there already a discourse around cityports?
(Yes/no) Who is behind it and what are the ambitions/motives?
Port authority stated to take specific measure to
have a more comprehensive strategy toward a more
sustainable port, starting build up a green network
inside the port in order to filter pollutants and make
a cooling effects; they also activate a series of water
protection measures, in order to safeguard the
quality of water and reuse wastewater. Furthermore,
some directions have been set for the use of raw materials
and work together with local actors in order
to initiate a process of reductions of different kind
of pollutions source. Moreover, the port built up its
own solar panel system, supplying the energy by solar
power to all the port area. “Duisport” is also tackling
the transition from fossil-fuel base economy to
a more environmentally friendly solution, by investing
in LNG-based infrastructure. This was a result
of a collaboration between the port of Duisburg and
the RWE’s Supply & Trade, designing and installing
a mobile fuelling station that a can be easily moved
and relocated.