Challenges

African Coastal countries face mounting pressures to develop port infrastructure in the face of rapid urbanization and economic growth. However, traditional construction methods, heavily reliant on carbon-intensive materials like conventional cement, often come at the expense of marine ecosystems and climate resilience. Balancing development needs with environmental sustainability remains a critical challenge, particularly in regions where coastal resources underpin local livelihoods and biodiversity.

This project is implemented in African countries, aiming to tackle four key challenges: First, traditional cement production (accounting for 8% of global emissions) aggravates climate vulnerability and hampers progress towards low-carbon transition; Second, high-mud-content dredged soil (>50%), underutilized due to low structural strength and high shrinkage rates, results in inefficient resource utilization and increased disposal challenges; Third, industrial waste accumulation (fly ash, slag, red mud), a persistent issue in coastal regions, pollutes terrestrial and marine ecosystems due to insufficient recycling and disposal mechanisms; Fourth, traditional concrete revetment projects have a negative impact on marine ecosystems, threatening long-term ecological balance and the sustainability of coastal communities. These challenges call for integrated, innovative solutions to align Africa’s port development with global sustainability goals.

Addressing these challenges requires advanced technologies, cross-border collaboration, and capacity building tailored to local contexts. The project integrates low-carbon materials innovation to reduce emissions (SDG13: Climate Action), resource-efficient construction methods to repurpose dredged soil and waste (SDG9: Industry Innovation; SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production), and eco-friendly coastal engineering to restore marine biodiversity (SDG14: Life Below Water). Crucially, partnerships with local institutions and knowledge-sharing platforms (SDG17: Partnerships) ensure technology transfer and long-term sustainability. Together, these solutions provide a replicable framework for balancing Africa’s port development with environmental protection.

Toward a Solution

This project, centered on low-carbon, ecological, and promoting China’s green port technology to Southern countries for win-win cooperation, aims to assist the ecological transformation of ports in African countries through technological innovation and international cooperation. The project team takes the sustainable development of the Skikda Port in Algeria as a model, developing ecological restoration technologies, resource utilization of dredged soil, and a biological damage prevention system to reduce port carbon emissions, protect marine biodiversity, and promote cross-border technology cooperation and knowledge sharing, contributing to achieve SDG9 (Industry Innovation), SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG14 (Life Below Water), and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The project strengthened China-Africa collaboration by integrating technology transfer, capacity building, and multilateral knowledge exchange. During implementation, the Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI) conducted targeted capacity-building programs in critical domains such as water resource management, water environment protection, water ecosystem conservation, water security, addressing climate change, and green development, etc. These programs engaged nearly 400 government officials, researchers, technical experts, and industry representatives from 23 African countries, equipping them with practical skills to address region-specific challenges in coastal engineering and ecological conservation. In addition, online and offline technical exchanges were conducted to create a dynamic platform for stakeholders to co-design solutions for sustainable coastal management and low-carbon infrastructure. These efforts accelerated the adoption of eco-friendly technologies, deepened cross-border partnerships, and institutionalized a knowledge-sharing framework. By aligning innovation with local priorities, the initiative strengthened South-South cooperation, enabling African countries to address common ecological challenges while scaling adaptable, sustainable practices.

The project delivered transformative outcomes through the following key technological breakthroughs.

Achievement 1: Technology for the coordinated protection, restoration, and reconstruction of ports and habitats in the sensitive intertidal zone. By optimizing the location and timing of mud disposal through hydrodynamic models (such as FVCOM), the spread of sediment is controlled, and combined with benthic biological monitoring data, the coordination of mud disposal and ecological restoration is achieved.

Achievement 2: Technology for the resource recycling and utilization of dredged soil and the associated restoration of the mud disposal area. A new method and process for preparing high-strength blocks of geopolymer dredged soil with 98% mud content and compressive strength exceeding 30MPa by using low-carbon geopolymer cement instead of high-emission cement and dredged soil instead of ordinary sand and gravel, reducing carbon emission by 40% compared to conventional solutions. A rapid calculation model for the far-sea mud disposal area based on analytical solutions was developed, revealing the dynamic response relationship between the maximum diffusion distance gradient and the duration of mud disposal, forming an associated restoration technology for the far-sea mud disposal area.

The project is led by the Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, in collaboration with National Research Institute for Rural Electrification Hangzhou Regional Center Asia-Pacific) for Small Hydro Power and other Chinese counterparts, African authorities such as University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene, and local government agencies. The collaborative actions include: 1. The Chinese side provides the design of eco-blocks and the treatment process of dredged soil; while African counterparts is responsible for on-site construction and data collection, and both sides jointly conduct technology research and application. 2. Through the “Green Port · Smart Port” technology exchange meeting, a cross-border platform is established to promote technology exchange, capacity building, project demonstration and standard establishment between China and African countries.

Localization of cooperation is the key to the implementation of this technology, and the same applies to cooperation with other Southern countries. Cooperation should be carried out on the basis of respecting local ecology and cultural differences to achieve common interests. In addition, establishing a data sharing mechanism also plays a positive role in accelerating cross-border technology iteration and enhancing bilateral trust. This model of policy integration, regional collaboration, and mutual financial support is highly replicable and sustainable in the long term.