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Under the low-carbon background, 37 ports of countries along the South China Sea with capacity ranking in the world's top 100 container ports are selected as the research object to establish a shipping network, construct a directed dichotomous shipping network, and divide the port tiers after finding the kernel number by using kernel analysis method, respectively, to explore the relationship between tiers and the relationship between ports at the higher level, and then make clear the direction of the improvement for the reduction of carbon emissions. The results show that: the routes sent between container ports in countries along the South China Sea have formed a more stable connection, but the receiving routes are still in a passive position, and the port call relationship is affected by the port hierarchy. High-level ports such as Shanghai Port and Singapore Port undertake the transshipment function of cargo concentration and redistribution within the network. The small-world characteristics among ports such as Singapore Port, Ningbo Port, Haiphong Port, Shenzhen Port, Guangzhou Port, and Linchaban Port are obvious. Based on the results of the empirical analysis, corresponding suggestions are put forward to optimize the structure of the container port system in the countries along the South China Sea and promote the low-carbon development of the sea.

The 21st-century Maritime Silk Road initiative by the Chinese government has garnered growing global attention. As pivotal facilitators of international trade, the maritime routes and ports along this route are attracting the interest of various stakeholders. There is a pressing need for extensive research to augment the existing theoretical frameworks. This paper introduces a Self-Organizing Map (SOM) neural network-based methodology for port function clustering, applied to 24 major ports spanning from the South China Sea to the ASEAN region in 2023. The clustering outcomes are cross-validated against port rankings derived from Principal Component Analysis. The study reveals several key insights: (1) Singapore Port, Hong Kong Port, Shenzhen Port, and Guangzhou Port emerge as the principal shipping hubs within the region; (2) The relationship between China and Singapore is identified as a linchpin for the sustainable development of the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road; (3) Guangdong Province is highlighted as a central economic and logistical node. Finally, the recommendations for the accelerated development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and Fujian Coastal Port is concluded.

In 2020, China proposed the country's dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Under the dual carbon goals, the low-carbon transformation has become an important development direction for Chinese ports. Taking eight ports in China's Bohai-rim port group as an example, this study adopts the Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model to evaluate the port efficiency considering the environmental factor of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The results show that the average scale environmental efficiency of the eight ports during 2005-2020 is the highest, followed by local pure technical environmental efficiency and global technical environmental efficiency. The efficiency values of each port under different environmental efficiency categories vary greatly. Overall, each port is in a state of environmental inefficiency. From port technology, input-output optimization, supervision, and management of relevant departments, recommendations for improving the environmental efficiency of ports under the dual carbon goals are put forward.

The huge fuel consumption of shipping activities has a great impact on the ecological environment, port city environment, air quality, and residents' health. This paper uses Automatic Identification System (AIS) data records and ship-related data in 2021 coastal waters of the United States to calculate pollutant emissions from ships in 30 ports of the United States in 2021. After calculating the pollutant emissions from ships at each port, the multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model is used to analyze the factors affecting the ship pollutant emissions. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) model is used to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of various factors affecting the characteristics of ship pollutant emissions at different scales. This paper mainly compares the effect of models of GWR and MGWR. MGWR may truly reveal the scale difference between different variables. While controlling the social and economic attributes, the coastline length, container throughput, and population are used to describe the spatial effects of ship pollutant emissions in the United States. The results denote that the distribution trend of ship pollutant emissions has a gap based on various ship types and ports. NOx accounts for the highest proportion of pollutant emissions from port ships, followed by SO₂ and CO. The impact coefficients of coastline length and population on pollutant emissions in port areas are mostly positive, indicating that the growth of coastline length and population will increase pollutant emissions in port areas, while the effect of container throughput is opposite. Relevant departments should put forward effective measures to curb NOx emission. Port managers should reasonably plan the number of ship transactions according to the coastline length of the port.

Port and maritime studies dealing with containerization have observed traffic concentration and dispersion throughout the world. Globalization, intermodal transportation, and technological revolutions in the shipping industry have resulted in both network extension and rationalization. However, lack of precise data on inter-port relations prevent the application of wide network theories to global maritime container networks, which are often examined through case studies of specific firms or regions. This paper presents an analysis of the global liner shipping network in 1996 and 2006, a period of rapid change in port hierarchies and liner service configurations. While it refers to literature on port system development, shipping networks, and port selection, it is one of the only analyses of the properties of the global container shipping network. The paper analyzes the relative position of ports in the global network through indicators of centrality. The results reveal a certain level of robustness in the global shipping network. While transhipment hub flows and gateway flows might slightly shift among nodes in the network, the network properties remain rather stable in terms of the main nodes polarizing the network and the overall structure of the system. Additionally, mapping the changing centrality of ports confirms the impacts of global trade and logistics shifts on the port hierarchy and indicates that changes are predominantly geographic.

Ports and neighbouring cities function as connectors between land and water and have long accommodated a substantial flow of goods and services. Port cities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region and the Global South (GS) are rapidly and inevitably expanding as the demand for global trade increases. However, this expansion has numerous impacts on the surrounding marine ecosystem and the socio-economic livelihoods of local communities. We propose a framework to evaluate the sustainability of port cities in the WIO region and more broadly for cities in the GS. Through an exploratory approach, a systematic literature review (SLR) was undertaken to identify existing themes on port city and marine ecosystem sustainability indicator frameworks. The results revealed a strong bias towards sustainability publications designed for port cities in Global North. The approach developed from this study focuses on the socio-economic and environmental attributes relevant to ports in the WIO region and for GS countries. This draws from the Drivers, Pressures, States, Impacts and Responses (DPSIR) framework and includes 78 indicators. The indicators are designed to identify and report on the complex land and sea interdependencies of port cities. To test the validity of these indicators their interdependencies were examined through a Causal Network (CN) structure which identified 12 priority DPSIR CN. These were also mapped to the UNSDGs enabling the wider applicability and transferability of the framework. The resulting framework enables port cities in emerging economies to establish robust sustainable reporting systems and provides a framework that offers a unique lens for evaluating interactions embedded in the land and sea continuum.

The optimization of empty container repositioning nets has become an essential problem in low-carbon port cooperation. This paper proposed three optimization models of multi-port low-carbon empty container repositioning considering threshold under input and output of empty containers as random variables. Non repositioning strategy means the highest threshold, and complete-repositioning strategy means the lowest threshold; threshold-repositioning strategy is in the middle. The probability of empty-container inventory in each port and the storage cost, repositioning cost, lease cost, and carbon emission cost of empty containers are calculated. This paper mainly compares each cost of three models. The results have shown that: (1) Compared with the non repositioning strategy, the threshold-repositioning strategy and complete-repositioning strategy can reduce the ports storage costs and lease costs of empty containers and also reduce carbon emissions. The lower the repositioning threshold of empty containers between ports is, the more obvious the advantages of the threshold-repositioning strategy become. (2) When the cost of storage per empty container increases, under three strategies, the total cost, storage cost, lease cost, and carbon emission cost of the port will all increase. The ports proportion of dependence on its own empty-container storage will decrease, and the proportion of dependence on other ports and leasing companies will both increase.

In order to realize a win-win situation between economic development and environmental benefits, this paper constructs a four-party evolutionary game model including the government, two homogeneous ports and shipping companies based on evolutionary game theory. By calculating the payoff matrices of the four parties and replicating the dynamic equations, according to the Jacobi matrix, we study and discuss the possible stabilization points of the model under five different scenarios. The game is simulated using MATLAB and the relevant parameters are selected for sensitivity analysis. The results show that the environmental benefits are maximized when the government does not implement the policy and the port and shipping companies use the shore electricty system (i.e., the stability point E12 (0,1,1,1)). Meanwhile, by analyzing the port size sensitivity, when t=1.116, the large-scale port evolution tends to 0, while the small-scale port fluctuates up and down, which leads to the conclusion that the small-scale ports have more potential to implement shore electricty and are able to gain benefits faster. This study provides theoretical support for the implementation of shore electricty systems, while pointing out the key role of the government in promoting the development of shore electricty. It provides a reference for effectively promoting the use of shore electricty in the context of carbon emission reduction, which is especially important for the implementation of shore electricty in small-scale ports and helps to maximize the environmental benefits of port operations.

Recently, the rights of small-scale fishers have increasingly been acknowledged in ocean governance because coastal development and various maritime activities have reduced traditional fishing grounds. More specifically, small-scale fisheries (SSF) are increasingly being threatened by ocean grabbing, pollution, and a lack of inclusiveness in decision-making processes. Although there are guidelines to resolve and reduce conflict, formal avenues to include fisher concerns, particularly in the context of ocean development and governance, remain a difficult task. Moreover, there is insufficient information on how fishers are impacted by coastal and marine development and how their concerns are included in the decision-making process. Hence, this study contributes to the SSF discourse by understanding and describing the characteristics and concerns of small-scale fishers from two coastal towns in East Africa with different levels of port development. Using data from perception surveys, focus group discussions, and participatory mapping, we discuss how fishers were involved in the decision-making processes to develop ports in Lamu, Kenya, and Bagamoyo, Tanzania. We found that fishers rely on nearshore ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs because of their accessibility since most fishers only use low-powered boats for fishing. Moreover, we found that the fishers' livelihoods were severely affected by port development and that they were excluded from the decision-making process concerning the port's construction and fishers' compensations. While some fishers believe that new ports in the region can increase their livelihoods by creating new markets and jobs, this is unlikely to happen since most fishers are not qualified to work in formal port-related jobs. We propose three steps that will allow fishermen to participate in port development decision-making processes and contribute to the development of a sustainable SSF. These include improving engagement with fisher

The collection and distribution network of ports is the main cause of carbon emissions. The carbon peak is a basic policy in China, and the subsidy policy is one of the common measures used by the government to incentivize carbon reduction. We analyzed the transportation methods and the flow direction of a port and proposed a carbon emission calculation method based on emission factors. Based on the transportation time and the cost, a generalized transportation utility function was constructed, and the logit model was used to analyze the impacts of subsidy policies on transportation, thus calculating the effects of the subsidies on carbon reduction. We used Guangzhou Port as a case study, and calculated the carbon reduction effects in six different subsidy policy scenarios and concluded that the absolute carbon reduction value was proportional to the subsidy intensity. In addition, we constructed a subsidy carbon reduction efficiency index and found that the Guangzhou Port collection and distribution network had higher subsidy carbon reduction efficiency in low-subsidy scenarios. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted on the subsidy parameters, and scenario 8 was found to have the highest subsidy carbon reduction efficiency. This achievement can provide decision support for the carbon emission strategy of the port collection and distribution network.

- A UK-first collaboration is set to use satellites to monitor coastal changes in a bid to create safer shipping navigation channels. - The project will see Peel Ports, the UK's second largest port operator, partner with the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and Channel Coastal Observatory (CCO) to employ satellite surveillance and assess where maintenance is needed over a six-month period. - Funded by UK Space Agency Small Business Research (SBRI), we will use our patented coastal mapping technology to support Peel Ports in building targeted dredging operations across the Mersey and Medway estuaries. - Offering greater insight into changes to the marine environments around two of the UK's most important waterways, Peel Ports will use the data to ensure safer access to the Port of Liverpool and Port of Medway for arriving ships.

The marine green fuel supply chain is a crucial component in the development of green ports. Focusing on the issue of cooperative contracts between the port and green marine fuel supplier within the marine green fuel supply chain, first, a two-echelon marine green fuel supply chain optimization model consisting of a green marine fuel supplier and a port was constructed. Second, the changes in profits and decisions of a green marine fuel supplier and a port were compared under four scenarios: no contract, cost-sharing contract, revenue-sharing contract, and combined revenue-sharing + cost-sharing contract. Finally, the propositions were validated using numerical simulation methods. The research findings show that, in terms of revenue, the combined profits of a port and green marine fuel supplier under the combined revenue-sharing + cost-sharing contract exceeded those under the revenue-sharing contract alone. Regarding the sales price of marine green fuel and bunkering service quality, these factors peaked under the cost-sharing contract and were at their lowest under the revenue-sharing contract. An increase in the port's investment proportion in marine green fuel bunkering service quality led to decreases in the bunkering volume, sales price, wholesale price, and bunkering service quality of marine green fuel under both the cost-sharing contract and the revenue-sharing + cost-sharing contract. Additionally, the higher proportion of revenue shared by the port with the green marine fuel supplier resulted in lower sales price, wholesale price, and bunkering service quality of green marine fuel under both the revenue-sharing contract and revenue-sharing + cost-sharing contract.

Port accessibility is an important factor in the efficiency of a port collection and distribution systems. And the carbon emission of the collection and transportation system is large, which is an important factor that cannot be ignored when constructing the collection and transportation system. In order to analyze the carbon emission characteristics of the port collection and distribution system, the paper incorporates the carbon emission factor into the accessibility measurement of the port collection and distribution system. To solve the problem of unbalanced demand of each logistics node, the distribution of logistics demand in the system is realized by the method based on the appropriate freight volume. The carbon emission cost factor is introduced, and the accessibility measurement model based on the generalized cost impedance function is constructed. Taking the collection and distribution system of Douala Port in West Africa as an example to verify, the results show that, after adding the carbon emission factor, the accessibility of each logistics node shows different degrees of decline which shows that the addition of the carbon emission factor can be more comprehensive and can reflect the accessibility of the system.

Addressing the spatial variability, temporal dynamics, and non-linearity characteristics of port water levels, a hybrid prediction scheme was proposed, which integrates empirical mode decomposition (EMD) with a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN), optimized using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. First, through the application of EMD, the port water level time series was decomposed into sub-series characterized by lower non-linearity. Subsequently, PSO was applied to fine-tune the center and spread parameters of the RBFNN, thereby enhancing the model's predictive performance. The optimized PSO-RBFNN model was employed to make predictions on the decomposed sub-series. Finally, reconstruction of the predicted sub-series yielded the final water level predictions. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model were validated using measured port water level data. Results from simulations highlighted the model's ability to deliver accurate predictions across various lead times. Furthermore, comparative analysis revealed that the proposed model outperforms alternative methods in port water level prediction. Therefore, the proposed model serves as a reliable, efficient, and real-time prediction tool, providing robust support for port operational safety.

With its safe and efficient characteristics, container transportation has become vital for advancing the global economy. However, port congestion has become a significant obstacle to the container freight price system's stability. There is currently no dependable engineering solution to guarantee the stability of the maritime transport system in a port congestion scenario. Therefore, decision-makers must comprehend the changing characteristics of the container freight index in the context of port congestion. Using the Shanghai container freight index as a proxy, this paper investigated the effect of port congestion on container freight rates, proposing a container freight index forecasting model. This study compiled congestion data from the Shanghai, Busan, Los Angeles, and New York ports from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2023, to predict a Shanghai container freight index (SCFI). With its high-precision fitting effect, the RBF neural network effectively predicted the change in SCFI, and the R2 reached 96%. We also confirmed the transfer effect of SCFI using the time-lag correlation model in a large congestion environment. The research results give container shipping organizations a decision-making foundation for planning shipping strategies and mitigating market risk.

Air pollution caused by shipping-related activities has adversely affected public health and environmental quality in port cities. However, applying digital technologies offers new pathways to mitigate such pollution. Based on panel data from 52 coastal port cities in China from 2016 to 2020, this study employs a two-way fixed effects model to analyze the impact of the digital economy on shipping-related PM2.5 pollution. Additionally, a panel threshold model is used to examine the threshold effect of port size in the relationship between the digital economy and shipping-related pollution. Heterogeneity analysis is further conducted from two dimensions-vessel types and PM2.5 components-to explore the variations in the digital economy's emission reduction effects. The results show that the development of the digital economy significantly reduces shipping-related PM2.5 pollution levels, and this emission reduction effect strengthens as port size expands. Furthermore, there are significant differences in the emission reduction effects across different vessel types and PM2.5 components. These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms through which the digital economy mitigates shipping-related pollution and provide a scientific basis and policy support for promoting the green development of port cities and the shipping industry.

The Indian Ministry of Shipping has prepared a draft Bill "Major Port Authorities Act, 2016" to replace the age-old Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, with a view to promote port infrastructure and facilitate trade and commerce.

The Indian Ministry of Shipping has prepared a draft Bill "Major Port Authorities Act, 2016" to replace the age-old Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, with a view to promote port infrastructure and facilitate trade and commerce.

China has fired the president of Tianjin Port Group and plans to prosecute him for dereliction of duty, state media said on Wednesday, almost three months after huge chemical blasts at the northern port managed by the firm killed more than 160 people.

China has fired the president of Tianjin Port Group and plans to prosecute him for dereliction of duty, state media said on Wednesday, almost three months after huge chemical blasts at the northern port managed by the firm killed more than 160 people.

General Manager of Djibouti Port Mr Saad Omar Guelleh has visited Shenzhen, China to sign an agreement with the Port Authority of Shenzhen that establishes a ‘Sister Port’ agreement between the two ports.

World's biggest automated cargo wharf, the fourth phase of the Yangshan deep-water port started operation on Sunday. The core technology of the robotic port was developed independently by China. The forth phrase of Yangshan port takes up an area of 2.23 million square meters, whose coastline stretches as long as 2,350 meters. It consists of two 70,000 dead-weight tonnage (DWT) berths and five 50,000 DWT berths.