The ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Moerdijk and Dordrecht have announced they will be rewarding environmentally clean ocean-going vessels from January 1, 2011.
Vessels that score well on the new Environmental Ship Index (ESI) will be given a discount on their port dues.
The ESI was designed by the ports of Le Havre, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It measures a ship's emissions based on the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM) it releases.
Vessels are graded from one to 100, with 100 representing a ship with no toxic emissions. The cleaner the ship, the lower the port charges it will have to pay.
The ports of Amsterdam, Moerdijk, Dordrecht and Rotterdam will be the first to start using the ESI. The aim is to clean up the air around the main harbours in the Netherlands.
"It is very important that seaports develop in a sustainable way. Making port tariffs greener and rewarding clean vessels is in keeping with this. The more ports and ships that use the ESI, the more this will start to influence behaviour in the shipping industry," said Dertje Meijer, director of the Port of Amsterdam.
Antwerp, Hamburg and Bremen have also announced their intention to use the ESI.
The ESI is part of the World Port Climate Initiative, a collective of 55 ports that work actively to reduce air pollution, and the emission of CO2 in particular.
Vessels that score well on the new Environmental Ship Index (ESI) will be given a discount on their port dues.
The ESI was designed by the ports of Le Havre, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It measures a ship's emissions based on the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM) it releases.
Vessels are graded from one to 100, with 100 representing a ship with no toxic emissions. The cleaner the ship, the lower the port charges it will have to pay.
The ports of Amsterdam, Moerdijk, Dordrecht and Rotterdam will be the first to start using the ESI. The aim is to clean up the air around the main harbours in the Netherlands.
"It is very important that seaports develop in a sustainable way. Making port tariffs greener and rewarding clean vessels is in keeping with this. The more ports and ships that use the ESI, the more this will start to influence behaviour in the shipping industry," said Dertje Meijer, director of the Port of Amsterdam.
Antwerp, Hamburg and Bremen have also announced their intention to use the ESI.
The ESI is part of the World Port Climate Initiative, a collective of 55 ports that work actively to reduce air pollution, and the emission of CO2 in particular.
