In 2011 and 2012, The Port of Rotterdam Authority will be rewarding the 25 cleanest ocean-going vessels arriving in the Port of Rotterdam, with a discount on port dues. Last year, the World Port Climate Initiative introduced the Environmental Ship Index (ESI), under the auspices of the International Association of Ports and Harbors, in London. The Port of Rotterdam Authority, co-initiator of this index, is working with this new international benchmark for ship air emissions and in this way awards points to those ships performing better than the statutory norm.
375 sea ships have now been recorded in the ESI. This means that all score better than the statutory norm. However, the score required in order to qualify for the discount, 31 points, appears to be on the high side for the time being. Only six ships have attained that score and of these, only one, the Morning Carol, has arrived in the Port of Rotterdam. This ship is eligible for a discount of some five per cent on port dues.
This low score does not fit with the policy that focuses on rewarding sustainable shipping. For the time being, the Port of Rotterdam Authority does not want to alter the 31 point limit but will, in any case, reward the 25 vessels that, according to the ESI, are most sustainable. For this, they will have to score more than 20 points, but that does not seem to be a problem. With this measure, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is joining a Port of Antwerp initiative.
The ESI was introduced on 1 January 2011. In the meantime, in addition to Dutch ports, the ports of Antwerp, Hamburg, Oslo, Kiel, Bremen and the Green Award Foundation are using ESI to reward clean ships.
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Source: Port of Rotterdam, September 13, 2011.