Cold ironing technology, recognized as a tool to reduce emissions while ships are at berth, has been introduced in several European ports aligning with the international and European environmental and legal framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study aims to identify the prospects for cold ironing technology’s introduction into Croatian state-owned ports according to European sustainable conditions. The authors surveyed a group of port experts and stakeholders. Response analysis showed that the technology implementation in Croatian ports is feasible, but only 40% of state-owned ports currently dispose of a minimum electric connection power of more than 1 kV. Furthermore, the analysis showed that all surveyed experts confirmed a cold ironing technology application perspective in state-owned ports. Substantial investments and financing demands have to be concerned to achieve sustainable implementation. Significant efforts are still needed to overcome the challenges in the technology application requiring cooperation between stakeholders. The international legislative regulations implemented by the IMO insist on the safety of ships and people, respecting both the security of navigation at sea and overall operations in the port.

This multi-faceted study deals with the analysis of the impact of noise emissions from the cargo terminals in the port of Split, especially in view of the proximity to inhabited areas and the growing number of registered issues and concerns due to its particular location. Three objectives are pursued: the identification of noise sources in the port area, an overview of strategic noise maps and simulations of noise propagation from ships at berth, and the calculation of external costs of noise pollution. In the first, preliminary part of the research project, by conducting a monitoring campaign and analyzing the data on strategic noise maps of the studied area, road and rail traffic were estimated as the main noise sources causing excessive noise emissions for all assessment periods: day (L_day), evening (L_evening), night (L_night), and day-evening-night (L_den) period. Industrial resources, including ports, were identified as having marginal noise emission levels. The calculation of the total external noise costs results in a damage value of €190,166/year, considering the number of affected inhabitants and the assumed noise levels. As an added value of the study, the simulation results of two scenarios have determined the noise propagation of a ship at berth and highlighted the zone of excessive noise under certain conditions. The results of this study should encourage the relevant institutions to strengthen noise management plans and introduce effective and continuous monitoring of noise emissions in critical areas.

Seaports play a crucial role in the transportation and logistics chain, and their development and optimization require significant investments in infrastructure, superstructure, human resources, and management. To ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of these investments, it is essential to implement a well-designed port management model. This model should be based on the criteria used to guide the selection process and ensure that the chosen model aligns with the needs and objectives of the port, stakeholders, and community. This study aims to determine the optimal criteria and management model for the regional seaports in the Republic of Croatia. Port management experts’ opinions were obtained through a questionnaire, and data were analyzed using the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods. The results showed that the criterion of functionality is optimal for choosing the appropriate management model, while the most favorable management model is the coordinated decentralized model. The results obtained by both methods were the same. Different criteria and management models, with similarities and differences between the obtained results and the provisions of the National Development Plan of Ports Open to Public Transport of Regional and Local Significance, are discussed and highlighted.