The ports of the future can become engines in the transition to fossil-free fuels and green technologies. In northern Sweden, the conditions for electrofuel production are particularly favourable. Within the Blue Supply Chains project, partly funded by the Swedish Transport Administration, a roadmap has therefore been developed for how the Port of Umeå can become a green energy hub and inspire other ports.

Sweden’s ambition to become the world’s first fossil-free welfare nation places pressure on the transport sector to reduce emissions. However, the transition is not only about changing the fuels used by ships. In Sweden—especially in the northern parts of the country—there are also strong conditions for producing green, hydrogen-based fuels. At the same time, these fuels require more frequent bunkering than today’s fuels, creating new demands for many ports to develop into hubs for energy distribution.

What is required for this to happen? Which actors play decisive roles in this development?

Within the international Blue Supply Chains project, funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme and partly by the Swedish Transport Administration, researchers at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute have conducted in-depth environmental and techno-economic analyses of renewable maritime fuels and their infrastructure, as well as relevant policy instruments. The work has resulted in several research reports, as well as a roadmap for how the Port of Umeå can become a future energy hub. Umeå was chosen as a case study both due to the city’s location and role in the transport system, and to the strong regional commitment to environmental sustainability.

“We invited needs owners and actors in northern Sweden to a major kick-off in Umeå right at the start of the project in February 2023. This gave us access to the network, which created both interest and a flexibility that made it easy to move forward with in-depth interviews for a market analysis of Umeå,” says Camilla Sundqvist at CLOSER Lindholmen, who together with IVL led the Swedish part of the project.

The interviews and survey studies were led by IVL and included energy companies, ports, shipping companies, terminal operators, and industrial partners. Once the results were compiled, the roles of the Port of Umeå, energy companies, and the municipality as direct needs owners were strengthened. These actors then carried the analysis forward and ensured alignment with the port’s electrification plans, the municipality’s energy plan, and its strategic direction.

“In this way, the needs of shipping and the port were integrated into local planning processes, demonstrating that collaboration has been one of the project’s key success factors.”

This view is shared by the Port of Umeå. According to CEO Patrick Matsson, the project has moved the port from uncertainty to increased confidence in strategic decision-making, along with greater awareness of what future bunkering entails in practice.

“Before BSC started, we were not as well informed about the different alternatives. By building knowledge around e-methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen, we now feel much more confident in dialogues with relevant industrial actors,” he says.

Camilla Sundqvist points out that the results demonstrate concrete opportunities for both shipping and ports to transition to fossil-free fuels.

“The study also shows the volumes involved and which fuels are relevant. In discussions with Umeå Energy and their business partners, it became a natural step for the municipality of Umeå to develop a long-term strategy that includes renewable electrofuels.”

The roadmap is based on a six-step methodology—from goal-setting to implementation and follow-up. According to Camilla Sundqvist, the Port of Umeå has already made progress and is now at step three, which focuses on assessing future needs for production capacity, bunkering, and charging infrastructure.

The intention is also for other ports to be able to use the roadmap.

“The part of the roadmap that outlines a strategic direction is scalable and can be used by other ports. It is about understanding the market and its actors.”

The work continues in other projects.

“Within the Interreg project H2Derivatives, where we work with actors in Luleå, IVL has carried out a market analysis and examined various projects planned for renewable fuels in countries around the Baltic Sea. The focus is both on ports in northern Sweden and on countries around the Baltic Sea. This is where most fuel production projects are planned,” says Camilla Sundqvist.

The overarching methodology behind the Umeå Roadmap was developed and described in detail in the report ‘Role of Port Authorities in Green Energy Supply for Transport Chains’, published within the framework of Blue Supply Chains in 2024. Lighthouse published an article about the report in October 2024.

Blue Supply Chains is a broad consortium consisting of actors from across the Baltic Sea region, all sharing a commitment to developing fossil-free maritime transport and its integration with land transport via efficient port terminals. The project is led by Hafen Hamburg Marketing and is funded through the EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme.