Six shipping carriers have
agreed to become the inaugural participants in the Port of Los Angeles Environmental
Ship Index, an international clean air program that rewards ocean carriers for bringing
their newest and cleanest vessels to the port.
Evergreen, Hamburg Süd North
America, Inc, Hapag-Lloyd AG Maersk Line, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Yang Ming have
registered for the global program and will begin receiving incentives later this
year.
“We applaud these early
adopters of the ESI program and encourage not only other carriers to participate
but also other ports to join this global port program,” port Executive Director
Geraldine Knatz said. “Growing participation among ports worldwide will increase
the level of incentives available to ship operators that invest in and deploy the
cleanest, most efficient and environmentally friendly fleets.”
The web-based ESI, which
was developed through the International Association of Ports & Harbors’ World
Ports Climate Initiative, is already underway at 14 European ports, but is the first
of its kind in North America and the Pacific Rim.
The Port of Los Angeles
developed its ESI with input from the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and
other stakeholders.
Under the program, operators
with vessels calling at the port can earn an incentive ranging from $250 to $5,250
per ship call by meeting one or all of three requirements:
- Scoring
30 or more ESI points based on a vessel’s engine specifications and emissions
certification; use of low sulfur fuel, plug-in ready on-board shore power technology,
and a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP).
- Deploying
ships with a Tier II or Tier III engine to the port.
- Participating
in a demonstration program to test and improve vessel emission reduction technology.
The port, which says it
has committed $450,000 to jumpstart the program, plans to pay incentives quarterly,
with the first distribution scheduled for this October. For the first sixth months
of the program, ships can qualify for the first incentive with a score of 25 points.
The lower introductory threshold
is intended to encourage early participation and help operators familiarize themselves
with the ESI website and reporting requirements, according to the port.
To participate in the ESI,
operators must enroll their companies and vessels in the program through the IAPH/WPCI
website, http://www.wpci.nl/projects/environmental_ship_index.php.
And to receive the incentive payment, operators must also register with the Port
of Los Angeles, which can be done at http://www.portoflosangeles.org/environment/ogv.asp.
Registration is free.
The port says it initially
expects up to 30 percent of the ships calling at the port to qualify for the incentives,
and that 30 percent participation would cut diesel particulate matter emissions
by 16 tons within the first year and reduce emissions of other primary pollutants,
namely nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and carbon dioxides.
The Port of Los Angeles
is also touting the ESI program as an opportunity for vessel operators to get ahead
of more stringent California environmental requirements before they become mandatory.
On Jan. 1, 2014, statewide clean air regulations will require ships operating within
24 nautical miles of the California coastline to use fuel with a reduced sulfur
content limited to 0.1 percent or less. The same standard will take effect throughout
North America on Jan. 1, 2015.
