EMEA News
BPO Highlights Support for "Eco-Friendly" Solutions for ECA Compliance
The Baltic Ports Organization (BPO) Friday highlighted its support for the uptake of "eco-friendly" solutions in order to comply with SOx limits on marine fuels in emission control areas (ECAs).
"The Baltic region has shown remarkable ingenuity and determination when confronted with the strict SOx limits in ship fuels, assuring that the implementation of the new rules was a smooth process," said BPO.
The group notes that, within Europe's ECA, 5.4 percent of the total short sea shipping fleet were equipped with exhaust gas scrubbers by the end of 2015 - a total of 73 vessels, with 10 more scheduled to have been retrofitted at the beginning of 2016.
However, BPO points out that scrubber wastes are not currently within the scope of EU Directive 2000/59/EC, which requires ports to receive specified wastes under an associated fee.
"Baltic ports encourage eco-friendly solutions employed by the shipowners and took it upon themselves to enable the disposal of scrubber waste," said BPO.
In April, Ship & Bunker reported that BPO had received approval from the EU's Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Seed Money Facility, as well as a €46,140 ($52,547) grant from the EU, for its Green InfraPort project, intended to develop liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering infrastructure and scrubber waste reception facilities at Baltic ports.
