Assessing the Environmental Benefits of Dry Port Usage: A Case of Inland Container Transport in Turkey

Ercan Kurtulus and Ismail Bilge Cetin
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Ercan Kurtulus: Department of Maritime Business Administration, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon 61080, Turkey
Ismail Bilge Cetin: Department of Maritime Business Administration, Maritime Faculty, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir 35210, Turkey

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 23, 1-16

Abstract: Inland transportation of maritime freight conducted by trucks creates extensive emissions. These emissions can be mitigated by using intermodal-rail transport through dry ports. In that regard, this study evaluated the environmental benefits of dry port usage by using discrete event simulation modelling. The results show that the current level of dry port-based intermodal transportation decreases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5.79% compared to transportation of all containers on the road. Evaluating the impact of the electrified railway line on the GHG emissions revealed unexpected results; the electrification of the railway line would decrease GHG emissions only by 0.06%. The improvements in empty container movement and scheduling slightly reduced GHG emissions by 0.69% and 0.63% respectively, however, highest GHG emissions reduction resulted from modal shift by 6.56%. This study extended the previous literature by assessing not only the environmental benefits of dry port usage but also its effects on train capacity usage, while taking the empty container movement into account.

Keywords: dry port; intermodal rail transport; greenhouse gas emissions; modal shift; discrete event simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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