Shipping lines that would normally call at Hong Kong’s green port have raised uproar as the port’s new jurisdiction to control its emissions by lowering sulphur content to 0.5% has led to a dispute as to who will foot the bill for a cleaner port.
Hong Kong is not the only port to implement green practices; Singapore’s Jurong Port has recently announced that it will be constructing and implementing the first green berths in the world.
In the South China Morning Post, a European ‘Shipping Manager’ is quoted as saying that “with the majority of the industry awash in red ink in recent years, it is beyond our financial capability to bear the entire cost for clean air. We may implement surcharges similar to what we are doing in North America and Europe [emission control areas].”
The new sulphur fuel requirement, which is due to be implemented by 2020 has sparked outrage among shipping lines, who could be expected to pay tens of billion of dollars a year in higher fuel costs under the new 0.5% sulphur cap.
