Italian railway company Adriafer and the University of Trieste have joined forces to research sustainable development processes in the Italian port. Their focus will be transport, primarily the rail freight sector, and how it can become more energy efficient.

Adriafer is a railway company providing manoeuvring and traction services to and from the port of Trieste. Additionally, the Interdepartmental Center of the University of Trieste “aims to coordinate, develop and implement research projects, and connect with other scientific and cultural realities”.

Their cooperation will be based on applied research and educational and cultural activities such as training internships, joint projects and conferences. They aim to tackle environmental and energy issues through their collaboration, focusing on improving rail freight efficiency.

Renewable energy in Italy

Data are not very much in favour of the Italian transport sector. Despite the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and EUs Green Deal emphasising the importance of sustainable transportation, Italy lags behind. “In Italy, transport is powered by renewable energy sources only by 6,5 per cent,” mentions Adriafer. Even if the percentage is low, the potential for a green transition is tremendous and could result in way fewer carbon emissions.

Adriafer already engages in research regarding developing and implementing innovative strategies to improve rail’s competitiveness by reducing emissions and adopting digitalised technologies. With the help of the University of Trieste, the aim is to deploy a “holistic and interdisciplinary approach, in line with the demands of the energy transition, providing a series of technical-scientific, legal, economic, territorial, social, political and medical-health.”

In practice, the partners will experiment with new technologies and business models to embrace safety and sustainability for rail freight operations in the port and contribute to Italy’s national transport goals.

Also read:

• Metals welcome onboard a new train to port of Trieste

• HHLA takes share in Adriatic port of Trieste

• Port of Trieste paralysed by protesters against coronapas

• RCG adds one more roundtrip to the Trieste-Vienna-Linz route