Hapag-Lloyd partners with Port of Shenzhen to improve air quality

The German ocean carrier joined the Shenzhen Port Green Convention, an agreement to voluntarily reduce emissions in the region by using low-sulfur fuel in port.    German ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd and the Port of Shenzhen in China are partnering to cut sulfur-oxide emissions in the heavily populated metropolitan area.
   Under the agreement, Hapag-Lloyd will only use fuel with a sulfur content of less than 0.5 percent while its ships are docked at Shenzhen terminals.
   “By joining the Shenzhen Port Green Convention, Hapag-Lloyd has once again demonstrated its commitment to environmental and health protection on a voluntary basis that goes beyond national and international requirements, thus emphasizing how important this is to our company,” said Hapag-Lloyd Chief Operating Officer Anthony J. Firmin in a statement.
   Other examples of similar environmental protection programs that promote the use of low-emission fuels while ships are in port include Hapag-Lloyd’s ‘At Berth Clean Fuels Program’ in Seattle, its ‘Port Metro Vancouver Blue Circle Award’ and the ‘Fair Winds Charter’ in Hong Kong.
   Outside of ports and Emission Control Areas, the company said it operate vessels with fuel that has an average sulfur content of only 2.1 percent, significantly below the current limit of 3.5 percent specified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Inside ECAs, Hapag-Lloyd’s ships only use fuel with the required maximum sulfur content of 0.1 percent, according to the carrier.