The project of "Green Ports and Connectivity"



As part of the project of "Green Ports and Connectivity", representatives of the “Batumi sea port” LLC took part in a field study trip to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium

As part of the Green Ports and Connectivity Project, implemented in the Batumi sea port with the assistance of ECO Sustainable Logistics Chain Foundation (ECOSLC) and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), representatives of the Batumi sea port took part in a field study trip to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is renowned for its innovation and technology, as well as its environmental and sustainability initiatives. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges currently handles an average of 180 million tons of international maritime cargo, including around 30 million tons of dry cargo, making it Europe's second largest port and one of the most important links in international trade. 15,000 sea vessels and 57,000 barges dock in Antwerp-Bruges every year. The port occupies 13,056 hectares. There are 150 kilometers of berths for sea vessels and 545 hectares of storage space in the Port. 

During the trip, the representatives of the Batumi sea port received training in the field of environmental management, sustainable development and digitalization of production, visited various facilities of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, including container ship terminals, warehouses, docks and administrative buildings, got acquainted with the latest cargo transportation technologies and environmental protection measures implemented in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.  

According to the Operations Director, Tengiz Varshanidze, this field study trip was very valuable for the entire Batumi sea port team: “We are grateful to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges for welcoming us and the opportunity to learn about their best practices in the field of cargo transportation, environmental protection and sustainable development. This experience will definitely help to improve our own processes and increase the efficiency of the Batumi sea port. We are proud to be part of the international port community and strive for continuous improvement."

As part of the trip, a working meeting was also held with the Chairman of ECO Sustainable Logistics Chain Foundation (ECOSLC), Netherlands, Mr. Herman Journée, regarding the process of implementing the European environmental management standard EcoPorts in the port of Batumi.

The field study trip to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is one of the many initiatives undertaken by the Batumi sea port as part of its strategy for sustainable development and continuous improvement of the services provided to its customers.

*For reference

EcoPorts is the main environmental initiative of the European port sector. It was initiated by a number of proactive ports in 1997 and has been fully integrated into the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) since 2011. The overarching principle of EcoPorts is to raise the awareness on environmental protection through cooperation and sharing of knowledge between ports and improve environmental management. The EcoPorts Network is the flagship initiative of the European port sector. In this way, EcoPorts seeks to increase the awareness about environmental challenges, deliver compliance with legislation and demonstrate a high standard of environmental management amongst its 116 members from 26 countries.