Gothenburg port tariffs unchanged as LNG bunkering becomes a reality



Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 11:39 by ce-press

Gothenburg has opted not to increase its port tariffs for the third year in succession.
“By doing so, we are seeking to boost growth in industry, shipping and port operations. At the same time, we want to be part of the effort to curb rising logistics costs for our stakeholders,” said Magnus Karestedt, Gothenburg Port Authority chief executive.

The company has managed to avoid the need for tariff increases through good cost control. “If we all share the responsibility for making logistics more cost effective, this will prove crucial to our stakeholders' competitiveness.”

A system is already in place whereby good environmental performance is rewarded with a discount on the port charge at the Port of Gothenburg. Two globally recognised indexes are used as a basis for the discount system, for which one-third of vessels that call at the port are eligible. Vessels that switch to running on liquefied natural gas, LNG, receive a further discount.

“We expect a significant rise next year in calls by vessels running on LNG, and there will be a resulting rise in the number that qualify for our LNG discount. The transition that is taking place is encouraging, and we look forward to welcoming more LNG-powered vessels to the port with a 20% discount per call,” said Karestedt.

The first bunkering of a ship with LNG whilst it was loading took place in late October. Less than a month earlier, the first ship-to-ship bunkering of LNG took place at the quayside. Ship-to-ship LNG-bunkering is available at all quays at the Port of Gothenburg, for all kinds of vessels, including cruiseships, while embarking or disembarking.

The EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive states that it should be possible to bunker LNG at what are termed Sweden’s core ports (Lulea, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Copenhagen/Malmo and Trelleborg) before 2025. So far the port of Gothenburg is the only port to have already realised this ambition in full.

Next year, Swedegas will build a landside pipeline for LNG at the Energy Port in Gothenburg. The investment will also mark the starting point for the construction in stages of a larger facility that will supply both the transport sector and Swedish industry with liquefied gas.

New for this year is that the port will be extending the discount period for calls by cruiseships, which will now run all the way from October 1 through to April 30. The port hopes that this will lead to more calls and in turn more cruise passengers enjoying their Christmas shopping in the true Gothenburg spirit.
Gothenburg port tariffs unchanged as LNG bunkering becomes a reality
(c) Christopher Kullenberg Rothvall





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