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The Port of Seattle says it will continue to offer incentives to ocean carriers and cruise lines to burn low sulphur fuel while moored in Seattle harbour. Since 2009, the port has offered the At Berth Clean (ABC) Fuels program to ship owning customers who qualify.

"ABC Fuels is one of the Port of Seattle’s most effective environmental programs," said Commission Co-President Stephanie Bowman. "By providing incentives to burn low sulphur fuel while berthed at port, we’ve been able to remove over 835 tonnes of pollutants from Puget Sound air since 2009."

The ABC Fuels Program encourages voluntary reduction of vessel emissions in our harbour by incentivizing use of low sulphur fuels above and beyond the Emissions Control Area (ECA) requirements.

"Maersk Line has participated in the ABC Fuels program since we began calling Seattle several years ago," said Lee Kindberg, Director of Environment at Maersk Line. "We appreciate the support by the Port and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency which has enabled us to reduce our air emissions in port."

This year, the ABC Fuels Program will change to a "per metric ton" incentive for vessels that achieve early compliance with 2015 ECA requirements to burn marine fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1% while at berth. The incentive payout depends on the amount of fuel (maximum 0.1% sulphur content) burned and could be as much as $7,400 per qualifying vessel call.

Since 2009, participants have received over $3 Million in incentives to burn low sulphur fuel while at berth in Seattle and the program is said to have eliminated over 830 metric tonnes of sulphur dioxide emissions.

"The ABC Fuels program is helping reduce pollutants in the Puget Sound region in advance of important international regulations to reduce harmful diesel emissions," said Craig Kenworthy, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. "The Port of Seattle is a proactive steward of environmental practices, and we look forward to more progress in the future."

The 2011 Puget Sound Maritime Emissions Inventory showed significant reductions (since 2005) in sulphur dioxide and diesel particulate matter emissions from the Port of Seattle. The ABC Fuels Program was a major contributor to this achievement, accounting for an estimated 76 percent of the sulphur emission reductions.

More than 1274 vessel visits representing eight container lines (APL, COSCO, Evergreen Line, Hamburg Sud, Hapag Lloyd, Maersk Line, Matson Navigation, and OOCL) and four cruise lines (Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines) have participated in the program from 2009 to 2013. The program applies to qualifying vessels in port up until December 31, 2014.

Image: MS Independence of the Seas - a Freedom-class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean.