Port of Antwerp: discounts for 25 cleanest ships
The Port Authority is granting a discount to the 25 most environment-friendly ships calling at Antwerp over the past three months. The ships are selected on the basis of among other things their NOx and SOx emissions, and are granted a discount of 10% on their tonnage dues. The financial incentive makes use of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) that was introduced earlier this year as one of the initiatives to improve the air quality in and around the port area.
The ESI is a joint initiative by the port authorities of Le Havre, Bremen, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Antwerp, with each port deciding the incentives that it grants for particular scores. On the basis of predefined conditions such as fuel consumption and emissions, each ship is given an ESI ranging from 0 (extremely polluting) to 100 (pollution-free). In the case of Antwerp, seagoing ships with a score of 31 or more are granted a discount of 10% on the tonnage dues.
So far two ships have achieved a score of 31 or more. “This demonstrates the feasibility of attaining the threshold level, but it also points to the need for shipping companies to invest further,” declared Luc Arnouts, chief commercial officer of Antwerp Port Authority. “To meet the shipping companies half way, we have decided to reward the 25 ships with the highest scores for the rest of the year. This will give the companies more time to make modifications and perhaps to register other ships for the index. In the meantime we are pleased at the wide range of shipping companies that are already taking part in the ESI initiatives and are to be found among the top 25. MSC, Maersk, Cosco, Hamburg Süd and Eukor among others have all qualified for discounts. The shipping companies are motivated not only by commercial considerations but also by a concern for sustainable development.”
Shipping companies can enter their vessels for the index at www.environmentalshipindex.org. The ships that qualify for a discount are determined every three months on the basis of an update of the ESI. The Port Authority then makes the discount available retroactively for the past quarter. The ESI initiative forms part of the Port Authority’s policy of sustainable development of the port. This new international standard is a useful tool for port authorities to promote investments in more environment-friendly ships. Antwerp Port Authority uses low-sulphur fuel for its own fleet. In addition, ships and barges are able to use onshore power supplies at various locations in the port, so they do not have to run their engines while at berth.
