Port of Long Beach starts green flag program

Port of Long Beach starts green flag program    The Port of Long Beach commenced Jan. 1 its Green Flag Incentive Program, which rewards vessel operators with reduced dockage rates for lowering their ship’s air emissions.
   Under the Green Flag program, carriers will qualify for a 15 percent reduction on dockage rates if 90 percent of their vessels observe a 12-knot speed limit within 20 miles of the port during an entire year. Emissions increase non-linearly with speed.
   The port said about 65 percent of vessels comply with its voluntary speed reduction program, which has been in place since 2001. “We’ve had good compliance with our voluntary program, and by adding these financial incentives we expect to reach 100 percent compliance,” said Don Snyder, trade and maritime services director at the Port of Long Beach.
   The port estimates that if all vessels comply with the Green Flag program, the amount of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) produced by container ships would be reduced by nearly 550 tons a year.
   If all of the carriers qualify for green flag rates, the port would make an estimated $2.2 million investment through reduced dockage collections.