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1. Hitachi Energy operates at the intersection of energy and digitalisation across many industries. What makes the port sector particularly relevant for you right now?
Ports are a fundamental link in society’s transition towards energy transition and decarbonisation. The maritime sector is one of the hardest to decarbonise, and we believe that new solutions and new approaches are needed, both in terms of greener fuels for ships and also in terms of new and complex energy loads at the ports themselves.
2. Where does this challenge come from? What specific situation or moment made you say "this needs to be solved and let's do it in a Hackathon"?
Hitachi is working with many ports across Europe and the UK, many of whom are facing the challenge of new energy loads such as OPS, port vehicle electrification, reefers and third party EV charging. In particular, OPS systems - which are becoming mandated in certain ports by EU regulation - are placing significant strain on the port energy system.
We believe that a holistic ‘Energy Hub’ approach is needed to address these challenges, and to optimise the way that energy is sourced, stored, distributed and consumed inside the port. This will include technologies such as battery energy storage and hydrogen-based generation, but we also need to look more deeply at port operations to understand how to unlock flexibility, and use this to balance supply and demand more effectively.
We want to use the Hackathon to discover new innovation in this area which can be combined with our existing SCADA systems, frequency converters and energy management systems, to create a ‘Port Energy Hub’ specifically for port use cases.
3. Beyond the event, what would it mean for Hitachi Energy to find a strong solution to this challenge?
Firstly, we would like to deploy the solution at the Port of Valencia, as a demonstrator, showing how it addresses real challenges at one of the terminals.
Then we would like to take the solution to ports all over the EMEA region, to facilitate energy transition in the maritime sector and address energy management challenges that they face with new demands such as OPS and eHGV charging.
4. If the solution works in a port terminal environment, how far could it go? What market potential do you see in the port and logistics sector?
We see very strong potential, especially with new regulations such as Fuel EU and the EU ETS coming into force, affecting many of the largest ports across Europe.
5. What's the difference, in your eyes, between a proposal that's "just good" and one that genuinely wins this challenge?
The best solution will need to directly address use cases in ports, rather than just being a generic energy management system. We need to fully understand port operations such as OPS, reefer management, EV charging etc, and build a system that supports these activities and meets the customer’s business objectives.
6. For a startup that impresses with its proposal: what happens after the hackathon? What does the path to a real pilot look like?
The path to a real pilot begins and ends with the pilot customer. We need to get close to the terminal operators at the port, to ensure we are building a relevant solution that meets real business objectives. When we do that, I am confident that together we can create a successful pilot that combines technology from the start-up with Hitachi technology.
7. Why would you encourage startups to apply?
The path to decarbonisation and energy transition in the maritime sector is not yet fully defined, many challenges are still unsolved, and the market opportunity is significant. By working together, we can build something that combines Hitachi's established and mature energy technologies with new innovation from your business, to discover new solutions that can address these challenges.
More information on Valenciaport Hackathon at: https://www.opentop.es/valenciaport-startup-hackathon-2026