Amsterdam canal boats are being converted to electric in line with the new Green Party mayor’s plans to ban diesel engines from the center’s ancient canals by 2025 and the city’s overall efforts to combat climate change.
Port of Amsterdam announced launch of a floating battery service to bring mobile stored power into the port and inner city of Amsterdam. The battery, which is placed on a barge and powered by local, renewable energy, will help balance the electricity grid.
In light of the coronavirus outbreak, Port of Amsterdam authorities announced that they keep monitoring the situation along with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and doctors from the Municipal Health Organisation for preventive healthcare, GGD.
As the 2020 sulphur cap entered into force, the shipping industry saw the introduction of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oils (VLSFOs), which has been increasing since October 2019. However, VPS notes that a rise has been observed in fuel instability leading to sediment formation from these fuels.
The era of digitalization has made room for Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles to take place and become a powerful tool for ports and the overall shipping industry, playing a major role in a variety of ‘shipping duties’, such as surveillance, safety, accident and pollution reporting, representing the importance of technology in shipping.
Port of Amsterdam achieved a new transhipment record in 2019 with transhipment reaching 86.3 million tonnes, in comparison to 82.3 million tonnes in 2018. This represents a 6% increase. Along with the other ports in the North Sea Canal Area, overall transhipment reached 105 million tonnes in 2019, compared to 101.8 million tonnes in the previous year.
A new joint Port Regulation for Port of Amsterdam and Port of Rotterdam has been set into force on 6 January, 2020 according to both ports’ officials. Specifically it is the first time that the two ports in Netherlands joined forces on composing a Port Regulation.
The provider of global marine services Svitzer, announced that has obtained Port Towage Amsterdam (PTA). That means that from January 2020, Svitzer is expected to take PTA’s fully ownership. For the records, PTA is a joint venture between Svitzer, Iskes Towage and Salvage which was formed back in 2014.
In a joint effort between Oiltanking Amsterdam, Furetank Chartering and Titan LNG, the FlexFueler001 has delivered LNG as fuel to the vessel Ramelia, whilst working cargo at the Oiltanking Terminal in Amsterdam. It is the first time a simultaneous operation (SIMOPS) has taken place with LNG bunkering in the Port of Amsterdam.
Holthausen Energy Points (HEP) is to build the first hydrogen station at the Port of Amsterdam. Work on the construction of the hydrogen station on Australiëhavenweg is expected to begin in spring 2020. The municipality of Amsterdam has issued a one-off grant of € 0.5 million.
