Six Carriers Sign Up to Port of LA's ESI Program

Six shipping carriers have become the inaugural participants in the Port of Los Angeles Environmental Ship Index (ESI).

The ESI is an international clean air program that rewards ocean carriers for bringing their newest and cleanest vessels to the Port.  Developed through the International Association of Ports & Harbors’ World Ports Climate Initiative, the ESI program is the first of its kind in North America and the Pacific Rim.

Shipping carriers Evergreen, Hamburg Süd North America, Inc., Hapag-Lloyd AG, Maersk Line, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Yang Ming have registered for the global program and will begin receiving incentives later this year.

The web-based ESI program, already underway at 14 European ports, offers immediate and significant clean air benefits by rewarding vessel operators for voluntary engine, fuel and technology enhancements that reduce emissions from ships beyond the regulatory environmental standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Specifically, operators whose vessels call at the Port can earn an incentive ranging from $250 to $5,250 per ship call by meeting one or all of the following three requirements:
 
    1.    Scoring 30 or more ESI points based on a vessel’s engine specifications and emissions certification; use of low sulfur fuel, plug-in ready on-board shore power technology, and a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP).
    2.    Deploying ships with a Tier II or Tier III engine to the Port of Los Angeles.
    3.    Participating in a demonstration program to test and improve vessel emission reduction technology.