Environmental Ship Index still going strong

The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) was devised as part of the World Ports Climate Initiative, launched in 2008 in recognition of the role of ports in ensuring ships meet carbon emissions reduction targets.

The index identifies sea-going ships that perform better in reducing emissions than required by current IMO standards. It does this by evaluating the amount of NOx and SOx that is released by the ship and includes a reporting scheme on the emissions produced.

According to IAPH, currently 3,809 ships have a positive ESI score, with 2,599 having scores of over 20. There are now 43 incentive providers on board, primarily ports, with classification society DNV-GL recently agreeing to provide a 50% discount on subscription to their ECO Insight Environmental Module for ships that meet a specified ESI level.

An increasing number of ports are using the index to reward ships by reducing harbour dues when they participate in this voluntary scheme, most notably in Norway where the Port of Flåm and Gudvangen directly links the ESI score to the percentage rebate on harbour dues.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration has committed to granting a 100% rebate on pilotage readiness fees to any ship with a valid ESI certificate and total ESI score of 50 points or higher.

Additionally the Port of Ulsan offers a 10% rebate on port dues for ships with ESI scores of over 31.