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14 The new dolphins are not quite as strong as the buoys but they ensure that the vessel is kept stable. The electricity comes from a solar panel on the top of the dolphin, eliminating the need for the cables, which were often damaged by the vessels. So it’s a double gain. A good thing when you want to be the world’s safest, most efficient and sustainable port. It should be pointed out that Rotterdam has not been the world’s largest port for a long time now: in terms of container throughput, Rotterdam is now ranked tenth in the world. But the Dutch port infrastructure is the best in the world and the port authority aims to maintain that lead. Piet Louwen: ‘A customer wants availability, reliability and functionality.’ Egbert adds: ‘Of course, we give our customers what they need, but we want to do more. We are getting smarter all the time: new quays are being fitted out with glass fibre, pressure and tilt gauges. By means of digitalisation, measurements and forecasting, we know exactly what loads are placed on the quay and when they are too high, when maintenance is needed, or when a customer can make more use of the potential.’ The channel is also monitored in a smart way. ‘We measure the depths of our waterways continuously by fitting out inland vessels with survey devices. That allows us to use detailed measurements in a much more targeted way. We know much better, for example, where dredging is required. Better results for less money: that’s smart business.’ The future Preparing for the future comes at a price. Every year, the port authority spends more than forty million euros on port management and maintenance, and over two hundred million euros annually on investments in infrastructure for the future. That leads, for example, to improved access to the port and better rail connections. In short: using the port becomes even more comfortable and efficient. Egbert and Piet disagree about whether the port will be like this in fifty years from now and about whether there will even be ports of this size any more. They do agree that it will all be about adaptation. ‘We are working on upscaling, digitalisation, and coordination with ongoing transport by road, rail and water using outdated infrastructure. The pace of change is increasing all the time. We need to keep adapting to the world around us and that requires flexibility,’ explains Piet. Egbert adds: ‘You can’t always foresee the consequences of your decisions, because you are preparing for a very uncertain future. A good port is never finished.’ SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DOSSIER SMARTEST HARBOUR Rotterdam is working with a range of partners on projects that make the port more efficient and sus­ tainable. Smart Port focuses on the construction of smart infrastructure, the transition to renewable energy sources and ongoing logistical optimisation. This project also includes the Future-Proof Port Infrastructure Road Map, It focuses on extending the lifetime of infrastructure, reducing maintenance costs and designing new infrastructure so that it is future-resilient. Residual heat from the port area is being transferred through the Heat Hub ( Warmterotonde ) to heat greenhouses and homes in the Westland area. Current water depths are being collected using the CoVaDem system (see the centrefold starting on page 16), which provides accurate forecasts of water depths. Deltares is a partner in a number of these projects with organisations that include Deltalinqs, the City of Rotterdam, the universities of Rotterdam and Delft, MARIN, Autena Marine and Bureau Telematica.