The carbon footprint of citrus exports via the Port of Durban: A container barge system analysis
Background: The Port of Durban in South Africa has faced significant road congestion for many years. To address this, the fresh-produce industry proposed a cross-harbour container-handling barge system. The citrus industry requested this study to evaluate the potential carbon footprint impact of suc...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jtscm.co.za/index.php/jtscm/article/view/1112 |
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| Summary: | Background: The Port of Durban in South Africa has faced significant road congestion for many years. To address this, the fresh-produce industry proposed a cross-harbour container-handling barge system. The citrus industry requested this study to evaluate the potential carbon footprint impact of such a system on citrus exports transported in reefer containers around the port.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether a barge system could reduce the carbon footprint of citrus exports and alleviate road congestion to improve the export supply chain’s efficiency.
Method: Using an exploratory case study with primary and secondary data, the research applied a deductive approach to theory development. Carbon emissions were calculated for three scenarios: the current system, the proposed barge system and a combined system.
Results: The carbon emissions for the three scenarios are as follows: current system: 25.20 kg CO2e per reefer; proposed system: 17.43 kg CO2e per reefer; and combined system: 20.61 kg CO2e per reefer. However, the proposed system does not have sufficient capacity to handle all the reefer containers in a given citrus season.
Conclusion: The combined system is the logical choice. The combined system shows a CO2e emissions saving of approximately 18% per reefer compared to the current system.
Contribution: This study explores the carbon reduction and congestion alleviation benefits of a cross-harbour barge system at the Port of Durban. Unlike existing literature on inland waterway barge systems, it provides a port-specific analysis and is among the first to quantify CO2e emissions for citrus exports using a barge system. |
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| ISSN: | 2310-8789 1995-5235 |