The Port of Rotterdam will give significant port fee reductions to ships that bunker sustainable fuels in Rotterdam, supporting the recently launched Zero Emissions Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) and rewarding leaders on the road to marine decarbonisation.
“It is vital that the shipping industry makes the switch to zero-emission fuels. The ZEMBA consortium has launched a fantastic initiative with a willingness to pay carriers a premium for the use of zero-emission fuels, which are still more expensive than traditional fuels. With the additional support from our side we want to give carriers a maximum incentive to make this switch,” stated Boudewijn Siemons, COO and CEO a.i. of the Port of Rotterdam.
ZEMBA, a coZEV initiative, has issued a request for proposals for the transportation of 600,000 TEUs on ocean-going container ships powered by zero-emissions fuels.
To support this, and as part of its continuous efforts to promote and speed up the transition to zero-emission shipping, the major Dutch port provides a port fee reduction for the container vessels when bunkering sustainable fuels in Rotterdam, which may total up to US$525,850.
According to a statement, to qualify, a ship must bunker alternative fuels in Rotterdam that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90%, such as green methanol or ammonia.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority noted that the discount does not apply to bio-blended fuel oil, marine gas oil, or marine diesel oil because the market in Rotterdam is already mature.
Moreover, the Port of Rotterdam already make discounts to more environmentally friendly ships that score high on the Environmental Ship Index (ESI). The ports of Singapore and Rotterdam launched the Green & Digital Corridor initiative in 2022, which also gives discounts to ships that use sustainable fuels.
