Hong Kong government official confident of Pearl River ECA
Mandatory emission controls on ships not just in Hong Kong but across the Pearl river delta forming Asia’s first emissions control area (ECA) is deemed very likely to happen by one of the movement’s strongest champions, Christine Loh Kung-wai, Under Secretary for the Environment, SinoShipNews reports.
A mandatory switch would build on a voluntary effort by 18 carriers currently in force. A group of 17 leading container lines voluntarily signed up to the Fair Winds Charter, which required them to switch to cleaner fuel when berthing in Hong Kong. The charter was drawn up by the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association and kicked off in January 2011.
Liners and shipowners have said they would like to see actual regulations to create a level playing field. Liners that have not signed up to the charter can dock in Hong Kong while still powered by high-sulphur bunker oil instead of more expensive 0.5% sulphur diesel, which gives them a cost advantage.
“This is the only voluntary scheme in the world in which the industry pays for its own cost of fuel switching,” said Loh at a press conference attended by SinoShip News yesterday. “These people are doing it, essentially, at their own cost.”
“One of the most important things that we are doing is mandating fuel switching at berth,” said Loh. “Hopefully we can pass the legislation relatively soon.”
If it introduces some kind of legislation over the next few months, a move Loh described as “quite aggressive”, Hong Kong would be the first port in the region to do so. What’s more, it could be part of a regional push.
Both in the policy speech and elsewhere, the Hong Kong government has outlined a plan to introduce mandatory emission controls for ships as part of a wider emissions control area (ECA) with other territories in the Pearl River Delta. Other ECAs are already being enforced in California, US, and the Baltic region.
Expanding this policy to the whole Pearl River Delta “would be good for the people of the whole region,” said Loh. “The vision is a low emission area for the whole water of the region.”
