The Green Award Foundation, a not-for-profit quality assurance organisation, has announced its incentive agreement with Ecoslops, the first company to develop a technology that sustainably produces marine fuels from refined marine oil residues (‘slops’). The development will see Ecoslops provide a 25% discount to all Green Award certified ships, reducing the costs of slops disposal for ship owners, and ensuring their sustainable regeneration into valuable marine fuels.
The incentive runs from the 28 April 2016, and is applicable for all hydrocarbon waste (i.e. bilge waters, sludge and slops) delivered to Ecoslops by Green Award certified vessels. This waste is classified under LER code 16 07 08 and directly related to Ecoslops’ principle activity of transforming marine hydrocarbon waste into marine fuels through its micro-refining technology.
Ecoslops’ technology helps to reduce the costs associated with slops disposal for shipping companies, and ensures efficiencies throughout the process. At a time when there are limited in-port storage and reception facilities for slops, Ecoslops provides a sustainable solution, improving the environment for local port communities, and minimising downtime for ship owners. This economically and environmentally conscious approach is in line with the Green Award principles, making Ecoslops the ideal partner in the expansion of the Green Award partner network.
A Green Award certificate supports ship owners and ship management companies to differentiate themselves by demonstrating their strengths and high standards, which go beyond statutory obligations. Green Award independently audits and certifies ships in accordance with its own requirements regarding safety, quality and the environment. Ports, maritime service providers and ship owners and managers join the Green Award scheme to reduce risks of incidents, support economically–sound and high quality shipping, and to increase their social and environmental sustainability profile, improving their competitiveness in the eyes of their customers.
Ecoslops’ first industrial scale treatment unit, with an annual capacity of up to 30,000 tons is located in the Port of Sinès, Portugal.Vincent Favier, CEO of Ecoslops, and Jan Fransen, Executive Director of the Green Award Foundation, met in Sinès on the 27 of April in order to mark the start of the official collaboration and formally handover The Green Award board.
Vincent Favier, CEO, Ecoslops, commented:
“Ecoslops is committed to increasing sustainability within the shipping industry, and is delighted to support the Green Award. The incentive we are offering provides a significant cost reduction to Green Award holders and also ensures that the disposal of their slops is efficient, sustainable and of benefit to the environment within local port communities, as well as creating a sustainable cycle for reintroducing regenerated marine fuels back into the supply chain.”
The number of Green Award incentive providers has significantly increased since the beginning of 2016: seven new incentive providers for Green Award certified sea-going ships have joined the scheme since January, while two ports have granted incentives to inland navigation barges. There is a significant interest from the industry, and the number of new applications is increasing. Green Award currently unites over 70 incentive providers (ports and companies) and has in total over 800 inland and sea-going ships certified.
Source & Image credit: Ecoslops
