EMEA News
Port of Gothenburg's Environmental Discount Scheme "Off to a Great Start"
Edvard Molitor, Senior Manager Environment at the Port of Gothenburg Authority (PGA), says that the port's incentive programme for vessels with high environmental performance is off to a "great start."
"This method of saving money and, not least, of highlighting environmental dedication is of course appreciated by our customers," said Molitor.
"They also appreciate the fact that we have joined an established index system that makes it easier for many more participants to join in."
The environmental discounts are said to have been introduced at the port on January 1, 2015 to encourage a reduction in environmental impact "beyond the levels stipulated in international regulations," and have so far seen 25 vessels join the system.
"25 ships is a relatively small proportion of all the vessels in the port, but these particular ships call very frequently," explained Molitor.
"The exact proportion depends somewhat on how we define if a ship makes a port call, but a conservative estimate shows that one in six vessels using the Port of Gothenburg currently receives the environmental discount."
The PGA says that it expects the number of participating vessels to grow in the future, particularly when liquefied natural gas (LNG) propelled vessels begin to call at the port in 2016.
"LNG is a good way of cutting emissions but it requires investment in the vessels," said Molitor.
"By giving LNG ships up to 30 percent discount we can help make LNG an attractive alternative in the economic perspective too. This is something that particularly appeals to the shipowners and it also clearly demonstrates that we are at the cutting edge in this sphere."
In July, it was reported that liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering is now being offered at the Port of Gothenburg, coinciding with the implementation of new LNG bunkering regulations.
