In order to encourage environmentally responsible behavior, the Port Authority gives Green Award certificate holders a discount according to the level their ship has achieved within the certification scheme. Gold, silver and bronze levels will be rewarded from January 1, 2017. To mark this cooperation, Jan Fransen, executive director of Green Award Foundation, handed over the Green Award plaque to Mariska ten Heuw from the Board of the Port of Twente and Gerry Waanders manager Twente Port Authority on February 3.
Green Award certifies ships that score high on quality and safety. A ship that can meet Green Award requirements gets a certificate. A certified ship is entitled to various incentives such as discounts on harbor dues, products and services and a reimbursement of certification costs. Twente Port Authority has joined as a new incentive provider. For inland shipping entrepreneurs it implies a discount on the port dues of 10 percent for inland barges certified as Gold, 7.5 percent for silver and 5 percent for bronze Green Award ships.
Twente Port Authority is a cooperation of harbors of Almelo, Enschede, Hengelo, Hof van Twente and Lochem. These harbors form the main port of the Eastern Netherlands. Twente Port Authority has joined the Green Award scheme in order to promote safety, sustainability and further mitigation of emissions in inland shipping.
After the handover Jan Fransen welcomed the Port of Twente by saying, “The Green Award certification demonstrates inland shipping entrepreneurs that their efforts to make ships greener and safer are recognized and rewarded by ports and the society. It motivates more ship owners and managers to implement measures that make inland shipping cleaner and more efficient. Only by joining forces we can make a difference and boost quality, safety and the environmental awareness in the inland shipping sector.”