The new port pricing system involving differentiated port fees is aimed at encouraging shipping companies to adopt environmentally friendlier technologies and thus also contribute to the health of Baltic Sea ecosystem.
“All the vessels sailing on the Baltic Sea must, naturally, meet current applicable environmental regulations,” said Ellen Kaasik, the head of quality and environmental management of the Port of Tallinn. “Our aim as the landlord port is, as do many our counterparts around the world, to encourage shipping companies to make extra efforts for adopting sustainable solutions and thus for protecting the fragile ecosystem of our Baltic Sea.”
Qualifying ships
To receive the discount, ships must hold a specific ESI score. Vessels with the ESI score of 80 and above may apply for a discount of 8% on tonnage fees. For ships with the ESI score between 65 and 79.9, the applicable discount is 3%.
Ms Kaasik noted that the use of the ESI score for differentiated port fees rewards not only the newest LNG or electricity powered vessels, but also other ships that have the highest fuel efficiency and use special equipment to reduce air emissions.
The ESI evaluates the amount of air pollution emitted by a ship, the vessel’s energy savings measures as well as readiness to connect the ship to onshore power supply.
Previous green investment
Differentiated port fees were first introduced the Port of Tallinn in 2014, when discounts were made available for cruise vessels dealing with their waste. From early 2018, all vessels using LNG as their primary fuel have been offered a tonnage fee discount of 4%, which will double in January 2019 for ships with the ESI of 80 or more.
The Port of Tallinn is also one of the pioneers amongst EU ports in providing incentives for ships that have invested in scrubbers for reducing sulphur compounds in their emissions and accepts the waste generated by scrubbers without charging additional fees.