Challenge(s)
Securing low-carbon energy sources for our City Port territories and optimising energy use.
Recommendation(s)
Use the potential of the presence of water to meet energy needs
Water, present by definition in all port territories, is a natural asset and a source of energy. Faced with the challenge of climate change, using water in port basins as a source of energy represents a sustainable economic concept that can be exploited by port cities.
Good practice
In Tallinn, sea water is used to provide air-conditioning at the « Seaplane Harbour Museum », a branch of Estonia’s Maritime Museum. The hangars dating from 1916-1917 were originally designed to house seaplanes, and the cold was not an issue. All that has of course now changed and the new maritime museum, which opened in May 2012, attracted nearly 325,000 visitors in its first year. Despite outdoor temperatures as low as -20°C, the heat pumps keeps those inside the hangars to a minimum of 17°C, especially in the large 6300 m² exhibition hall. And because the temperature of the water pumped from a depth of 2.50m rarely falls below -1°C in the bay of Tallinn, the system remains operational all year round.
In images
