Rotterdam leads action on port emissions
Image of Rotterdam courtesy Rotterdam Partners
Rotterdam's port authority is pushing the Netherland's government to create a coalition with north-west European countries to agree a joint CO2 price. At the Energy in Transition Summit 2018 the port's CEO Allard Castelein, called for a much higher price for CO2 and a need to avoid the "solo" energy approach embraced by the UK, with its focus on electricity production.
"A price in the range of 50 to 70 euros per tonne of CO2 will stimulate companies to invest in solutions that we really need in order to realise the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement", he said.
The Rotterdam / Moerdijk port industrial area is facing the task of decreasing CO2 by 20 million tonnes by 2030, but the Port of Rotterdam Authority believes this can be achieved as part of the Netherlands' National Climate Agreement. It is also introducing a 5 million euros incentive for "climate friendly maritime shipping" where it will support vessel-owners and charterers experimenting with low or zero carbon fuels supplied in Rotterdam.
In Greenwich, London, local campaigners from the East Greenwich Residents' Association have halted the proposed development of a cruise liner terminal at Enderby Wharf, near the O2 / Millennium Dome. A shore-side power supply (common in Amsterdam and New York) as an alternative to berthed ships using their own engines to run utilities, was not given the go ahead.
Campaigners were concerned that the consequence of this would result in the equivalent of 'tens of lorry loads' of CO2 being pumped into residential areas on a daily basis. Morgan Stanley has put the site of the cruise terminal up for sale.