The vessels will receive a total tariff reduction of 30 per cent when they call at this port. The discount will come into effect in 2015 and will apply until December 2018. In one year alone this would represent a substantial saving for ships on a regular basis. The aim is to induce more shipping companies to switch to cleaner fuel.
Magnus Kårestedt, Chief Executive at the Port of Gothenburg, said: “It has been our firm belief for a long time that LNG is the fuel of the future. This initiative is entirely in line with our ambition to reduce the environmental impact of shipping and build a sustainable Scandinavian freight hub.”
From January 1, 2015, conditions for shipping in the Baltic and North Sea will change with the introduction of new, stricter regulations governing sulphur emissions. In response, the Port of Gothenburg will revise its port tariff.
Ships that maintain a high level of environmental performance will be recompensed. Two indexes will be applied as a basis for discounting – Environmental Ship Index, which is used by many ports around the world, and Clean Shipping Index, which is an environmental index where the freight-owners’ make demands on the shipping industry. At the same time, ships that switch from oil to LNG will receive a further discount.
Preparations are currently being made for the construction of a terminal at the Port of Gothenburg that will supply both shipping and industry with LNG. The terminal is part of a collaborative venture between Rotterdam and Gothenburg to build an infrastructure for LNG, an initiative that is also supported by the EU.
Source: Port of Gothenburg
