Rotterdam rewards sustainability

According to the Environmental Ship Index (ESI), the 2003-built Ternvag was fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to reduce NOx emissions at the request of the charterer, Swedish oil company Preem.

Terntank has also commissioned four LNG-driven product tankers, one of which will also be chartered to Preem.

“In 2016 one of these ships will also be sailing for Preem. So we want to win the prize for the most sustainable vessel in Rotterdamagain in 2017,’ says Tryggve Möller, director, Terntank.

“We see the prize as an endorsement of our policy to use clean ships. Rotterdam is a sustainable port and the largest in Europe,” he added.

The ESI is a certificate that has been issued since 2011 by the World Port Climate Initiative. Rotterdam is one of many large ports taking part in the initiative. Antwerp, Los Angeles, New York, Sohar, Vancouver and Tokyo also take part, among others.

Ships which ships which score well in the certification system receive an incentive of around 5% off port tariffs at Rotterdam.

Over the past year, the port has paid out €1.2m for the initiative. Rotterdam is also working on the transition from fuel oil to LNG as a fuel for shipping as part of its sustainability plan. Vessels running on LNG have been receiving double the ESI bonus since 2015.