EMEA News
Number of Ports Giving Discounts for Bunker Saving Vessels Predicted to Rise 500% in 2015
Carbon War Room founder Sir Richard Branson has predicted that up to ten ports could introduce discounts for ships designed and maintained to reduce fuel consumption, and with it carbon dioxide emissions, Climate Action Programme reports.
The move would represent a 500 percent increase on the two ports currently offering such schemes and earlier this year, Branson praised Canada's Port Metro Vancouver and Prince Rupert Port Authority for becoming the first ports to implement a discount system based on ratings produced by Carbon War Room's EVDI monitoring system.
But the Port of Rotterdam has announced it is now looking to establish a carbon monitoring index, which could pave the way for Rotterdam and others offering reduced fees for bunker saving vessels, Carbon War Room has said.
"The Port of Rotterdam, along with other ports, shippers and shipping companies has taken the initiative to establish a Good Carbon Index," said Tie Schellekens, spokesman for Port of Rotterdam.
Branson explained that the motive behind such a programme is to encourage shippers to focus on bunker saving technologies by creating a clear business case.
"The adoption of the War Room's A to G rating by many of the world's top 100 ports would create an incentive market for carbon efficient ships worth over U.S.$100 million to shipowners," he said.
Last month the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) reported that between 2007 and 2012 the global shipping industry reduced the amount of its Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 20 percent.
