Eukor has secured discounted port dues at the port of Rotterdam as part of the World Port Climate Initiative, which has been set up to reward companies with the cleanest ocean-going vessels.
The initiative, which includes 55 ports around the globe, was established last year and measures environmental performance, including greenhouse gas emissions, according to an Environmental Ship Index (ESI).
The ESI identifies ocean-going vessels that perform better in reducing air emissions than required by the current emission standards of the International Maritime Organization.
The voluntary index is intended to be used by ports to reward ships when they participate in the ESI and will promote clean ships, but can also be used by shippers and ship owners as their own promotional instrument.
So far the total number of vessels with a valid ESI score is 368. As part of the initiative, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, which is a co-initiator of the index, is rewarding the 25 cleanest vessels arriving at the port with discounted dues.
Rotterdam has set a high score requirement (31 points), which only six ships have met, but only Eukor's Morning Carol car carrier, which has achieved a high score of 34.8 has arrived at the port so far, making it eligible for the 5% discount.
According to the Port of Rotterdam Authority it does not want to alter the 31-point limit but will, in any case, reward the 25 vessels that, according to the ESI, are most sustainable.
“For this, they will have to score more than 20 points, but that does not seem to be a problem,” said the company in a statement.
Eukor’s Morning Cello and Morning Lucy car carriers are also eligible for the Rotterdam score requirement, while its Morning Composer is also a high scorer within the ESI index at 29.6.
The ports of Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bremerhaven and Oslo are also participating as incentive providers in the initiative.
In other news, Eukor recently received the Order of Industrial Service Merit from the Korean Government for its contribution to the country’s export industry. A ceremony was held at the Pyeongtaek International Ro-Ro Terminal, which is jointly owned by Eukor and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics and which recently completed its second phase of development.
The completion of the second phase of development will enable the port of Pyeongtaek & Dangjin to handle 1.2m vehicles, as well as 1.24m TEUs.
A total of $1.85m has so far been invested into this project.
