Port-centric Supply Chains as Catalysts for the Clean Energy Transition

In the book, The Architecture of Complexity, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Herbert A. Simon (1962) explores the nature and structure of complex systems, which he describes as hierarchical (with smaller sub-systems nested within larger systems) and ‘near-decomposable’, the latter of which means that interactions within subsystems are stronger than interactions between subsystems. While complexity arises from intricate interactions within and between individual subsystems, near-decomposability suggests that focusing on subsystems makes it easier to understand and manage this complexity. This chapter will adopt this approach to examine the role of ports in the clean energy transition, exploring particularly the interplay between energy and maritime systems and their impact on onshore infrastructure. The ongoing clean energy transition drives this interplay.