Hedge manages the foundation’s Climate Initiative, a program to help government agencies, nonprofits, businesses and consumers reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to prepare for climate change. The port will discuss a Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan that it is creating to develop strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, something scientists say contributes to climate change. The plan will serve as a guide for how the port will prepare for the possible impacts from climate change in its five member cities – San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and Coronado.

Some scientists predict that a rise in sea level in the decades ahead would have impacts on those tideland areas. The port is creating the climate plan because of its role as an environmental steward of San Diego Bay. “Climate change is a global issue and affects everyone differently,” said Board of Port Commissioners Chairman Scott Peters. “The port is committed to addressing this issue for the San Diego Bay tidelands, and one strategy is through the Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan.”

The public workshop and community conversation is just a first step in the long-term process. Community members are invited to attend and learn about the impacts of climate change regionally and the importance of incorporating strategies for future planning. In addition, port representatives will outline the work that has begun on the preparation of the Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan (Climate MAP), along with next steps. The port would like to engage the public early in this process, in order to receive input at key points along the way.

The port’s climate change plan will be a critical tool for future planning and development along the shores of San Diego Bay – state tidelands that are administered by the Port of San Diego.

The plan will recommend ways to prepare for the predicted sea level rise, beach erosion and energy demand.

The plan’s preparation is expected to be a lengthy process, and the public will be asked to comment at several public meetings that will be scheduled.

Peters noted that by adopting a climate plan and other “green” initiatives, the Port is minimizing its environmental impact while preparing for the future.

“By preparing for anticipated changes, we will be protecting our property, saving money and safeguarding wildlife,” he said.

Federal agencies, along with some local cities, also are addressing climate change and its impact on their jurisdictions. The port is in contact with the agencies, including the U.S. Navy, to ensure a coordinated approach.

To assist the port in the development of the climate plan, its Environmental Advisory Committee has appointed a climate and energy working group, composed of local experts in the various related fields, such as climate change, energy, and wildlife. The experts include representatives from the Environmental Health Coalition, San Diego State University and the San Diego Foundation, who will help guide the preparation of the Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan

Several port employees, including environmental specialists and land use planners, are involved in developing the climate plan, with assistance from the working group. It will assess how climate change may affect port tidelands decades from now.

Comprising 23 subsidiary companies, the BMT group has successfully focused on its core maritime offering in the organisation’s three sectors of defence, energy & environment and transport. Highlights included: the development of a new and innovative Fast Landing Craft design which met the demanding requirements set out by the UK’s Ministry of Defence; successful completion of the first sustainability strategy and management framework assessment for Guangzhou Development Industry Holding Co. Ltd, a major power company in the Pearl River Delta region of China; and partnerships with a diverse range of customers including the United States Coast Guard to provide Human Factors Engineering studies to address issues in the design and operation of equipment within demanding environments. 

BMT has also opened new offices in India and Brazil to better support and grow the organisation’s core businesses located in these regions and acquired the Western Australia based port and harbour engineering specialists, JFA Consultants, to further enhance its offering in the Asia-Pacific region.

Peter French, Chief Executive of BMT Group Ltd said: “The continued focus on our core business combined with the commitment and ability of our people to respond to our customers’ challenges, have allowed us to weather the difficult economic conditions.   That we have held our own in such a tough climate is a testament to our strength and ability to provide valued solutions, at whatever stage in the economic cycle.”

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of BMT and with it came the implementation of its sustainability strategy which is already seeing positive results within the group.  It also saw the launch of BMT’s philanthropic initiative, BMT Giveback, the first project of which is now underway in India.

From one of the world’s biggest coal ports in Australia to ice breakers in the Caspian Sea, BMT is at work on projects in 35 countries. Over the last 25 years BMT has delivered some remarkable achievements including:

Being part of the European Space Agency development team, working on the use of earth observation for maritime markets

Providing its insight and knowledge to over 70 EU research projects

Designing the US Navy’s high speed ‘X-Craft’ catamaran as well as the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) future aircraft carrier

Assessing the damage caused by major disasters from Piper Alpha and the Herald of Free Enterprise to the Sea Empress oil spillage and the effects of Hurricane Katrina.  

Wind tunnel modelling to assess airflows for Dubai’s Burj al Arab, Beijing’s Olympic stadium and a number of F1 racing cars

Developing the PC Rembrandt ship-manoeuvring simulator, now used on many of the world’s cruise ships including Cunard’s flagship liner, Queen Mary 2.

The first call on this new service is the MV India, which sailed from Southampton on May 24 and arrived at Liverpool on May 26.

Paul-James Sawyer, X-Press Container Line’s UK and Ireland trade manager, said: “The inclusion of Liverpool into our network is an exciting development which will help ensure that reliable and viable solutions can be offered to all of our customers servicing the North and Northwest areas. Furthermore this expansion continues to prove our commitment to the West Coast UK and Ireland trade lanes.”

The new service will carry cargo on behalf of a number of deep-sea lines that currently operate global services through Southampton. 

Peel Ports Mersey head of business development Stephen Carr said: “We know there is significant demand for additional services into Northern Britain via Liverpool, as water competes with road and rail on both cost and carbon measures.  We then create additional benefits for supply chains through a wide range of value added services at the port including rapid truck turn-around time, flexible storage solutions and inland terminals connected by the Manchester Ship Canal barge service.”

“This service will help to relieve the pressure on both road and rail infrastructure from the South, without compromising on the environmental benefits offered by rail.  Liverpool is the most centrally positioned port in the UK, meaning it is ideally situated to serve all cargo bound for Northern Britain.  Increasing numbers of importers and exporters are starting to look at the full integrated cost of the “ship-to-door” logistics chain and recognise that Liverpool is the closest port to the largest proportion of end consumers.”

Peel Ports recently revealed that AB World Foods, a company that includes brands such as Patak’s and Blue Dragon, has switched its supply chain so it can use the Port of Liverpool as its UK import gateway for foodstuffs and raw materials from the Far East and India. This modification will eliminate 300,000 UK road miles and remove over 2,000 tones of CO2 per annum, when compared to the company’s previous supply chain model that saw container cargoes entering the UK through ports on the south coast and then using trucks to transport cargoes to their final destination.  In addition to reducing direct transport related costs, this move also enabled a supply chain that could be more responsive and less exposed to congestion.

Stephen Carr added: “This additional feeder services expands the range of connections available to importers and exporters based across Northern Britain and compliments Liverpool’s existing weekly feeder services operated by MSC, from Rotterdam and Antwerp and CMA, from Le Havre.”

The project, situated on the North West coast of Spain, consists of forming a 240 Hectare deepwater shipping basin protected by a manmade breakwater running for almost 3.5 km across the bay.  Detailed Civil Engineering works have been carried out to ensure this advanced breakwater will withstand the forces of the large Atlantic swells that periodically strike this area. On the seaward side, the breakwater is being formed using 150 tonne concrete armouring blocks.  On the inward side, it’s designed to have thousands of 52 tonne rectangular concrete blocks placed in a wall-like arrangement to a depth of about 14 m.  Placing these blocks underwater was a great challenge which the engineers met by turning to CodaOctopus and the Echoscope 3D real-time i.e. 4D, high-definition multibeam sonar.

 During the recent Ports and Coasts seminar held in Las Palmas, Mr. José Enrique Pérez Noguer, UTE Langosteira’s General Manager, presented results of their successful use of the Echoscope 4D sonar. The audience heard that since testing and subsequently purchasing the system, their productivity and accuracy for block placement has almost trebled.  More importantly, due to the now infrequent use of divers to check alignment, there have been no reported safety issues.

“We had a real problem to precisely place these concrete blocks in zero visibility.  After evaluating several sensors, the only choice suitable for our crane operators was the Echoscope 4D sonar.” Mr. Enrique further noted, “Not only did it greatly improve our productivity, it enhanced our safety record due to substantially less underwater intervention by divers.”

 Commenting on these results Stephen Auld, Managing Director of CodaOctopus Products, said, “We’re proud that such a significant civil engineering project has benefited from our unique sonar.  The capabilities of the Echoscope and the clarity of image for crane operators really does make this the world’s first 4D multibeam sonar.”