Like all forms of industry, commercial and legislative pressure is increasingly driving shipping to take environmental considerations into account. This clearly has an impact on all ends of the  ShipNet packages take this into account in voyage planning, and as we enter 2012 it’s clear that ports are starting to do so too. Recently Fairplay covered Rotterdam’s introduction of a patrol boat powered by biodiesel, and late last year ShipNet blogger, Janny Kok, talked to Deen Shipping about their use of LNG fuel for bunker barges.

Based in Zwijndrecht, Deen Shipping’s recently launched bunker barge, Argonon, can claim to be the cleanest bunker barge in Europe; propelled by dual fuel, that of 80% natural gas and 20% gas oil. The vessel is to supply fuels to seagoing vessels in the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp.  By investing some €5M in the newbuild shipowner Gerard Deen is anticipating the impact of future legislation on environmental friendly inland and deepsea shipping, and on consent of European authorities to allow barges to be propelled by LNG.

Deen received partial financial support of €1.2M from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which it applied for in conjunction with the Dutch inland barge organisation, and the province of Zuid-Holland.

According Deen, it pays to be green, apart from a reduction of 20 per cent of carbon emission and virtually zero emission of particles, LNG is cheaper than diesel and the operating lifetime of the engine is larger.

On top of those benefits port authorities are expected to grant clean barges certified by the Green Award foundation discounts on port dues. The Port of Rotterdam Authority set the example by granting the barge Argonon 30 per cent discount on such dues, as an incentive to the sector to invest in sustainable barging.