Hamburg to introduce new port fee
The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has announced plans to introduce a new port fee system this summer that will include turnover when calculating the port dues, Portworld reports. Up until now, port dues have solely been based on a ship's size.
"In taking this step, the HPA is meeting the demand of shipping companies and ship brokers to use handling volumes as a criterion to calculate port dues as it is already done in Rotterdam," the port commented.
"We will all benefit from that. In boom times, the port's revenues will rise and in times of crisis, customers of our port will save costs as port dues will be lower," said Jens Meier, HPA's managing director.
Along with the planned charging system changes, the HPA said it will be introducing an environmental discount on port dues.
"At the beginning of 2011, Hamburg launched a test and observation phase and in the summer of 2011, the environment will play a bigger role in the calculation of port dues to encourage the deployment of environmentally friendly ships," the port stated.
The port will base its assessment on the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) - an international standard that allows the comparison of emissions by ships.
"In taking this step, the HPA is meeting the demand of shipping companies and ship brokers to use handling volumes as a criterion to calculate port dues as it is already done in Rotterdam," the port commented.
"We will all benefit from that. In boom times, the port's revenues will rise and in times of crisis, customers of our port will save costs as port dues will be lower," said Jens Meier, HPA's managing director.
Along with the planned charging system changes, the HPA said it will be introducing an environmental discount on port dues.
"At the beginning of 2011, Hamburg launched a test and observation phase and in the summer of 2011, the environment will play a bigger role in the calculation of port dues to encourage the deployment of environmentally friendly ships," the port stated.
The port will base its assessment on the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) - an international standard that allows the comparison of emissions by ships.