RF Ministry of Industry and Trade has commenced drafting a ‘green’ shipping incentives law.
According to the Federal Portal for Draft Regulations, the Ministry is to draft a bill for introduction of amendments into certain legislation acts of the Russian Federation with the purpose to ensure application of administrative and economic incentives for promotion of new technologies in shipbuilding and shipping.
Among such incentives could be setting of port charges depending on ecological compatibility of ships.
Ecological compatibility is determined by using fuels with low content of pollutants (sulphur, nitrogen compound, heavy fuel), using of gas fuel, shore power for ships staying in ports, electric propulsion etc, full compliance with international and national environmental standards, high enegy efficiency, etc.
The above mentioned standards can be introduced into the Federal Law on Sea Ports of the Russian Federation, the Law on Introduction of Amendments into Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation, the Merchant Shipping Code and the environmental laws.
It is suggested to ensure statutory privileges for ‘green’ ships when determining the priority of calls in seaports and the priority of berthing (like foreseen by Chapter VII.1 of the Merchant Shipping Code for line ships).
In shipbuilding, privileges are to be provided to ‘green’ ships in the part of state support (subsidies for scrapping of old ships, for interest rates on loans under newbuilding projects, for leasing of newly built ships, etc.
Electric propulsion in shipping will require a legislative framework for connection to on-shore electricity infrastructure.
The draft law has not been published yet.
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