Safe, ClimAte Resilient Infrastructure

Project Information

SAFARI

Grant agreement ID: 101147432

DOI

10.3030/101147432

EC signature date 16 April 2024

Start date 1 May 2024

End date 31 October 2027

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 7 307 464,58

EU contribution

€ 6 240 265,33

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE DE LILLE
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SAFARI (Safe, ClimAte Resilient Infrastructure)

Reporting period: 2024-05-01 to 2025-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The SAFARI project is designed in response to the increasing vulnerabilities faced by port infrastructures due to extreme weather events, which have become more frequent and severe across Europe in the past decade. Ports are critical hubs for global trade, connecting regions and facilitating the flow of goods and services. However, disruptions caused by storms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and heatwaves can significantly impact port operations, damage infrastructure, and create safety concerns for vessels and personnel.

The SAFARI project aims to develop a generic digital platform for resilient port infrastructures, enabling ports to maintain high levels of operational capacity even during extreme weather events. This platform will be connected to large port communities and feature emergency management modules, supported by operational, maintenance, and analytical tools. The project targets the ability to sustain port operations at 80% of capacity during disruption periods, ensuring minimal downtime and continued functionality even under adverse weather conditions. Thus before and after disruptive events, the SAFARI platform will optimize the use of various transport modes (train, river, truck, and automated vehicles) to shift 20% of cargo away from vulnerable channels, thereby minimizing environmental impact and operational delays. SAFARI will implement structural and operational measures to strengthen the resilience of port infrastructure against extreme weather events, addressing both immediate risks and long-term climate changes. The project will develop protocols to safeguard personnel and vessels, while also protecting the surrounding environment and biodiversity during and after extreme weather events. SAFARI will provide governance frameworks and strategic guidelines to help ports address climate-related risks and hazards, integrating socio-economic considerations with operational priorities.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

1. Development of the Physical and Digital Twins
A scaled physical twin (1/73) of port infrastructures was built, including the main handling components such as train systems, river access for barges, trucks, and automated vehicles. This physical twin was engineered to emulate real-world disruptions caused by extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall, storms, or heatwaves.The digital twin was connected to the physical twin for simulating various operational scenarios. It allowed the system to run traffic simulations and predict port capacity under normal and extreme conditions. This simulation tool was crucial for optimizing port operations and identifying potential bottlenecks.

2. Data Collection for Predictive Modelling
Various sensors were deployed in real environments of Port of Dunkerque, Port of Lisbon, Port of Seville and also the physical twin to collect real-time data related to environmental and operational conditions. These data sets are used to feed machine learning models designed to predict operational impacts of different weather disruptions. Data collected from the real ports and the physical twin will be utilized to train predictive models for improving the resilience of port operations.

3. Optimization Algorithms for Multimodal Transport: Algorithms are developed to optimize the allocation of transport assets (e.g. trucks, trains, barges) before, during, and after extreme weather events.

4. Port Capacity Planning and Traffic Simulation
SAFARI will develop simulation tools that allowed for planning port capacity during extreme weather events. These simulations helped forecast how much capacity could be maintained during disruptions and ensured that 80% of the port’s operational capacity could be retained, a major objective of the project.

5. Resilience Measures for Port Infrastructure
The project will provide specific guidelines for structural reinforcement of port infrastructure to resist damage from extreme weather events, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the infrastructure. A critical outcome of the project is the development of emergency management modules, which were fed by real-time operational and maintenance data.

Main Achievements:
1. To emulate extreme weather conditions and their impact on port operations using physical and digital twins.
2. To develop predictive models and simulation tools to ensure at least 80% port capacity during disruption periods.
3. To implement optimization algorithms for multi-modal asset allocation, achieving a 20% modal cargo shift with reduced environmental impact.
4. To establish resilience measures to reinforce port infrastructure and ensure operational continuity.
5. To introduce advanced real-time decision-making systems and emergency response protocols, integrating both predictive analytics and physical simulations.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Key Results:
1. The project wants to develop a scaled-down physical twin of port operations, emulating disruptions such as floods and heatwaves.
2. SAFARI will develop and integrate AI-powered preventive maintenance systems.
3. SAFARI will demonstrate the ability to maintain up to 80% operational capacity during disruptions by simulating and optimizing the allocation of multimodal transport resources (trains, barges, trucks). Th
4. The project will provide critical data and recommendations for strengthening existing port infrastructure.
5. SAFARI will establish safety protocols for port personnel and vessels, ensuring minimal risks during extreme conditions.

The implementation of SAFARI's solutions has the potential to dramatically reduce operational downtimes during extreme weather events, ensuring a smoother flow of goods across Europe. This could result in significant economic savings, reducing losses related to delays and damages. Finally, the adoption of resilience measures and safety protocols improves port infrastructure's durability, which can lead to long-term economic benefits by reducing maintenance and recovery costs.