20 port authorities join forces for cleaner shipping and smart ports

July 2, 2021

On 22 and 23 June, the Port Authority Round Table took place, during which the world’s 20 largest ports talked to each other online about decarbonisation of shipping, digitalisation and disruptions in the logistics chain. During these PAR meetings, the participating ports expressed their intention to share data more intensively. A concrete example is the use of neutral platforms such as the Routescanner, which was developed by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. ‘Instead of all inventing the wheel individually for planning container transport worldwide, we are now joining forces to use a kind of joint Google Maps for container transport. Because shipping companies and operators only have to share their data once on this platform, a lot of time and money can be saved,’ says Allard Castelein, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO

Routescanner as a common route planner for container shipping

Shipping is the most efficient form of transport for containers worldwide. To date, planning container transport is a complicated puzzle for ship owners and carriers because information on shipping routes and rail and road connections is often not complete or transparent. By sharing this information with each other on a globally neutral platform, insight is gained into what the most favourable container route is, thus saving a lot of time and money while reducing emissions.

Routescanner – Showcase your port’s network

During the PAR event, participating ports expressed their commitment to using Routescanner, developed by the Port of Rotterdam Authority, as a neutral platform for planning container transport worldwide. Ports are asked to support this initiative and ask local operators to share their data on this platform.

Routescanner contains deep-sea, short-sea, rail and inland waterway schedules of ports worldwide, making it the first online platform to provide insight into the various global routes for door-to-door container transport.