The POWER4MED project, held under the theme “Towards Sustainability and Innovation in the Mediterranean Basin”, officially concluded on Wednesday during a high-level international conference in Oran, Algeria. The event, organized by the Mohamed Boudiaf University of Science and Technology (USTO) in collaboration with Italian institutions and with support from the European Union, brought together participants from Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.
Spanning two days, July 2–3, 2025, the conference hosted a series of significant activities focused on sustainable development in the Mediterranean region. It also marked the inauguration of the POWER4MED support structure, designed to enhance environmental sustainability in the fishing and maritime transport sectors.
On Thursday, the official launch of two new strategic projects — GREENMEDPORT and SHARE4MED — will take place, alongside the Algeria-Italy Maritime Forum. This event will bring together economic actors, researchers, and institutional representatives from both countries to discuss critical themes such as:
- Port activity digitalization
- Integrated management of maritime supply chains
- Ship retrofitting in the context of sustainable development
- Maritime regulations and legislation
- Carbon footprint and environmental platforms
- Alternative marine fuels
- Shipbuilding and maintenance
This initiative aims to strengthen cross-border value chains and encourage innovative public-private partnerships in key sectors of the Mediterranean maritime economy.
The POWER4MED project (“Local Empowerment for Fuel Transition Towards a Greener Mediterranean Sea”) ran from November 1, 2023, to April 30, 2025, involving Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. It had a total budget of €740,868, funded by the European Union through the EMFAF Fund under the WESTMED Initiative.
The launch of the two new projects, GREENMEDPORT and SHARE4MED, is supported by the INTERREG NEXT MED program. These initiatives aim to:
- Assess maritime needs regarding alternative fuels and technologies that are efficient, accessible, and affordable
- Identify short-term transitional technologies to meet upcoming demand for carbon-neutral fuels
- Ensure compliance with emission reduction goals set for 2025, 2030, 2040, and 2050
POWER4MED also supports small vessel operators in navigating this complexity by establishing a dedicated support team made up of multidisciplinary experts, along with a toolkit to facilitate the transition to carbon neutrality across three targeted sectors:
- Fishing vessels
- Commercial ships/ferries
- Marinas
The project is seen as a critical milestone for maritime decarbonization, aligning with the EU Green Deal, the Fit for 55 package, and the IMO’s fourth GHG strategy, which ambitiously targets zero carbon emissions by 2050. Transitioning to carbon neutrality will require both short- and mid-term solutions — many of which remain either inaccessible or not yet fully available — making projects like POWER4MED essential to supporting the maritime sector’s transformation.
Source : eldjoumhouria
