Green Ports, Real Progress: How the Middle East (and the World’s Gateways) Are Decarbonising
Ports are the lungs of global trade—and right now they’re learning to breathe cleaner. From Dubai to Dammam, Sohar to Abu Dhabi, a quiet revolution is underway: cutting fossil-fuel use at berth, electrifying the equipment that moves our goods, and wiring terminals to run on renewables.
It’s not just about meeting climate targets; it’s about healthier air for nearby communities, more resilient power systems, and ports that can compete as regulations tighten worldwide.
Below is a field guide to what’s changing fast, why it matters, and how Middle East ports are carving out leadership roles.
Why ports matter for decarbonisation (and why 2025–2030 is the crunch window)
Ships at berth can account for a surprisingly big share of port-area pollution—diesel gensets run for power, emitting NOx, SOx and CO₂ right next to cities.
Globally, policy levers are snapping into place: the International Maritime Organization’s 2023 strategy set a net-zero-by-2050 course with near-term milestones and a push for “zero or near-zero” fuels this decade.
In Europe, two rules are especially relevant for ports: AFIR (which requires shore-side electricity in major ports by 2030) and FuelEU Maritime (which ratchets down the greenhouse-gas intensity of ship energy starting 2025 and compels container and passenger ships to plug in from 2030 when stays exceed two hours).
California’s At-Berth rule is already expanding to more vessel types from 2025. Together, these measures are turning clean power at the quay from “nice-to-have” into table stakes.
Shore power: the fastest win for cleaner air at the waterfront
What it is: Also called on-shore power supply (OPS) or “cold ironing,” shore power lets ships shut down auxiliary engines and plug into the grid.
What’s new in the Middle East:
Abu Dhabi (Khalifa Port): AD Ports inaugurated a new CMA Terminals facility that includes shore power readiness—a regional milestone that aligns with global cruise and container standards and reduces emissions at berth.
Oman (SOHAR Port & Freezone): SOHAR has invited investors into a dedicated shore power project, signalling an intent to deploy OPS at scale and integrate it with future energy systems.
Why it’s accelerating globally:
EU pressure: TEN-T ports must provide shore-side electricity for most passenger and container traffic by 2030, and from 2035 ships must plug in wherever OPS is available—raising the bar for any port courting Europe-linked services.
US pressure: California’s updated At-Berth regulation expanded compliance in 2025 to Ro-Ro and some tankers, with more categories ramping through 2027—pushing shipping lines to standardize OPS across their fleets.
The practical playbook:
Prioritise high-impact berths (cruise, container, Ro-Ro). 2) Standardise voltages (typically 6.6–11 kV) and connectors. 3) Plan for grid capacity and power quality—OPS is only as green as the electricity behind it. 4) Pair with tariffs and incentives so ships actually plug in.
Electrifying the port itself: cranes, yard tractors, and automation
Ports are turning diesel hotspots into electric workplaces. The gains are immediate: lower fuel bills, less maintenance, and quieter operations.
Abu Dhabi (Khalifa Port): A flagship for automation and low-emission handling, including autonomous truck systems at the COSCO terminal—improving efficiency and cutting per-move emissions.
DP World (Jebel Ali and global network): The group’s 2025 sustainability update highlights a program to retrofit terminal tractors at Jebel Ali and scale electric internal transfer vehicles across its portfolio—evidence that heavy equipment electrification is moving from pilot to mainstream.
Where electrification bites hardest: rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes (diesel-to-electric or hybrid conversions), battery-electric yard tractors, shore-powered ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, and electric forklifts for warehouses.
The trick is charging: smart schedules, on-site battery storage, and demand-response contracts help avoid grid peaks.
Renewable energy in port operations: turning sun (and sometimes wind) into quayside power
The Gulf’s solar resource is a strategic advantage. Rooftop PV, car-park canopies, and nearby utility-scale solar can feed terminals, reefer racks, and OPS systems.
UAE (DP World, Dubai): A multi-site solar PV program already generates tens of thousands of MWh a year, offsetting significant CO₂ and cutting operating costs. The program continues to expand through partnerships adding new rooftop capacity across logistics facilities.
Integration benefits: Pairing OPS with solar plus batteries lets ports shave demand peaks when several large vessels plug in—keeping grid connections smaller and bills lower.
What to watch next: green-power procurement (PPAs with guarantees of origin), microgrids to island critical operations, and hydrogen-ready infrastructure for yard equipment where batteries are less practical.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE: four trajectories to watch
Saudi Arabia (Mawani): Rapid capacity expansion and private-sector concessions at Jeddah and across the Red Sea/Eastern coast are a chance to bake electrification and OPS into new builds. As terminals are modernised, specifying e-RTGs, shore-power conduits, and charger corridors up front is far cheaper than retrofits.
Qatar (Hamad Port): With strong throughput growth and a push on public education around sustainable port tech (including shore power demonstrations), Hamad is well-placed to scale OPS and electrify equipment as the fleet mix evolves.
Oman (SOHAR): Moving first on investor-backed shore power could make SOHAR a regional hub for clean-at-berth services—especially attractive to lines serving EU routes.
UAE (Abu Dhabi & Dubai): Between Khalifa Port’s shore-power-ready terminal and Jebel Ali’s solar-plus-electrification track, the UAE is building the full stack: clean electrons, electric movers, and digital operations.
Policy gravity: why Middle East ports should prepare for Europe’s rules (even if they’re not in Europe)
From January 2025, FuelEU Maritime started monitoring ship energy use on EU-related voyages to verify compliance with GHG-intensity cuts; from 2030, container and passenger ships must plug into shore power during longer stays, and by 2035 they must connect wherever OPS exists.
Any Middle East port competing for the same vessel rotations as EU calls will feel that gravity—vessels will prefer ports that don’t “break” their compliance chain.
The business case: clean air today, competitiveness tomorrow
Health and community license: OPS slashes local pollutants where people live and work—often more compelling to city leaders than CO₂ metrics alone.
Operational savings: Electric RTGs and yard tractors have lower energy and maintenance costs over their lifetimes; rooftop solar hedges against volatile power prices. (DP World’s solar and electrification data points illustrate this shift.)
Regulatory resilience: Early movers avoid scramble-costs later and become preferred calls for lines standardising OPS and low-carbon port stays to meet EU and California rules.
A practical roadmap for a “green port” program
Map emissions with precision (by berth, equipment type, and time of day) to pinpoint quick wins.
Sequence shore power at the highest-impact berths first (cruise, container), with substation upgrades and cable management designed in from day one. Align connectors/voltages to international standards to support multi-fleet compatibility.
Electrify the heavy lifters: convert diesel RTGs to electric or hybrid, phase in battery yard tractors, and specify electric STS cranes on expansion projects.
Build the clean-power backbone: onsite solar + storage, smart charging, demand-response contracts; use PPAs to lock long-term green supply for OPS. Examples from the UAE show this is not theory.
Digitise for efficiency: autonomous trucks and advanced traffic systems reduce idling and energy waste—Khalifa Port’s deployments show tangible gains.
Align with global rules now: design to FuelEU and AFIR compatibility even if you’re outside Europe; it future-proofs services and attracts premium calls.
The human side: what changes on the ground
Decarbonisation isn’t just a wiring diagram—it’s people. Electric yard tractors change the soundscape on the quay. Shore power means less diesel haze for crane drivers and neighbouring schools.
Solar canopies turn scorching parking lots into shade. And digital tools move operators from firefighting to fine-tuning. Workers notice; communities notice; shipping lines notice.
Bottom line
The Middle East has the ingredients to lead: abundant sun, new terminals being built right now, and the capital and ambition to scale. Tie shore power to electrified equipment and renewable supply, and you don’t just tick a sustainability box—you create ports that are cleaner, quieter, and more competitive in the decade that matters.
