Rotterdam offers a discount on bunkering sustainable fuels

‘SUBSTANTIAL’ DISCOUNT ON SEAPORT FEES

The Port of Rotterdam Authority (PoR) will give a ‘substantial’ discount on sea port dues to container ships that bunker sustainable fuels in Rotterdam. The port manager thus supports the so-called Zemba initiative. This is a combination of major shippers including Amazon, Electrolux and Philips for the joint purchase of emission-free transport. Last month, this Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance requested offers for zero-emission maritime transport of 600,000 teu in three years.

CEO Boudewijn Siemons calls Zemba ‘a fantastic initiative to make carriers pay more for the use of emission-free fuels, which are still more expensive than traditional fuels’. The port manager wants to provide carriers with ‘maximum incentive’ to make the switch.

The port manager does not mention a discount percentage, but does say that the total amount could amount to half a million euros. The discount applies to sustainable fuels that provide at least a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, including green methanol or ammonia. The discount does not apply to heating oil and diesel in which biofuel has been mixed. According to PoR, that market is already ‘mature’.