Port of Amsterdam Aims to Cut Shipping Emissions

Dutch Port of Amsterdam is looking to reduce shipping emissions and minimise the environmental impact by working with the shipping sector.

Through its Clean Shipping Vision for 2030, the port intends to achieve its sustainability objectives through concrete actions, such as reducing emissions of docked sea cruise ships by 50 percent. The plan also encompasses emissions from ships themselves and those associated with port activities such as loading and unloading.

As the implementation of the vision requires an international approach and long-term commitment, the target year for Port of Amsterdam’s ambitions has been set at 2030.

The port’s objective is to achieve a reduction in nitrogen (NOx), sulphur (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions of up to 50 percent of sea cruise ships docked in Amsterdam by 2018, the year in which the baseline measurement will be made. It is assumed that by 2030 the environmental performance of all seagoing vessels that enter the port is at least equivalent to that of the current, most environmentally friendly ships.

Another objective is to decrease noise and air pollution caused by the use of diesel generators at public berths inside the Amsterdam ring road to virtually zero by 2018.

The port plans to invest EUR 10 million until 2021 into its infrastructure, including LNG bunkering facilities and ship-to-shore power, to achieve these objectives. Also, the existing incentive programme for promoting cleaner shipping will be expanded further and LNG-fuelled vessels will receive additional discount on port dues.

“The Clean Shipping Vision is an ambitious plan that contributes to making our environment more sustainable and is essential to maintaining our licence to operate and licence to grow. It enables us to contribute to improving the sustainability of the logistics chain and future-proofing our city, our port and our region for current and future generations,” Marleen van de Kerkhof, Port of Amsterdam Harbour Master, said.