- Sustainability
Having recognized the growing need for decarbonizing the maritime transport industry, the sponsor company is assessing the economic feasibility of implementing Green Intermodal Corridors. For a route to be considered a viable option as a Green Corridor, it must have the potential for significant decarbonization while also being economically implementable. This paper covers the feasibility assessment for three corridors, exploring the different scenarios possible in each of these routes and how they compare with the base case of current operations in terms of costs of operation and carbon emission reduction. The report discusses the scenario simulations over the alternate routes that deploy an electric barge and a hybrid barge in combination with an electric truck (Route 1), an electric truck (Route 2), and an electric train in combination with an electric truck (Route 3), in place of the regular diesel trucks for the delivery of cargo from the port to the warehouse. We created a model to show the trade-off between cost and emissions and to assess the best way for the company to make decisions on its options for future infrastructure and routing. The best and easiest transition for the company, as determined by the feasibility study, is using electric trucks in place of diesel trucks for inland delivery over Route 2. The successful implementation of viable green routes can be driven by utilizing government funds and incentives that can partially offset the high initial capital expenditure. Although the cost and emission figures, as ascertained in the report, do not make a strong case for green corridors in themselves, this transition can definitely be made possible by encouraging the transportation industry, the government, and all the stakeholders involved to make the necessary contributions to establish green routes with lower carbon emissions.