• The project brings together 20 partners to find solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the construction, maintenance and operation of port facilities

ACCIONA is participating in the European CLARION innovation project, which has just been launched to increase the sustainability and resilience of port infrastructures and inland transport networks in the face of disruptions caused by climate change and human activity.

The aim of this project is to prevent possible crises that could disrupt port operations, guaranteeing security and access to ports, while minimizing the environmental impact of the construction, maintenance, operation and dismantling of these infrastructures.

Together with ACCIONA, the project brings together a multidisciplinary team of 19 partners from 11 European countries who will work to develop innovative solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change on port infrastructures through ten demonstrators involving the ports of Antwerp-Bruges, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Constanta and the Valencia Port Foundation, among others.

ACCIONA, partnered by the port authorities of the Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges, will be responsible for monitoring and studying the corrosion processes of port structures, while actively participating in the development of nature-based solutions, their monitoring and the promotion of biodiversity. In addition, through the treatment and stabilization of dredged material, the company will evaluate its recovery for value-added applications such as the production of concrete blocks, soil stabilization or its use as landfill.

The CLARION project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of technologies to improve the operational resilience of port and inland waterway infrastructures, especially during and after disruptions caused by extreme weather conditions, natural events or man-made situations. In will also contribute to a modal shift towards low or zero emission transport systems, with an estimated increase of at least 20% in the use of these systems in inland port connections. The project will also contribute to ensuring the safety of port access and operations, avoiding additional accidents related to climatic disturbances, as well as reducing the environmental impact of these infrastructures by 20%.

The project, funded by the Horizon Europe Program with a budget of approximately €7 million, is in line with the EU’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the European Green Deal, and is expected to be completed by 2028.