In an effort to position Japan as a leader in the next
generation of environmentally-friendly vessels and meet the country's goals for
lower emissions, the ports in the Tokyo municipal region are implementing an
incentive for vessels that use alternative fuels.
Starting April 1, 2021, and running for the next five years,
port entry fees are being waived for all vessels that use liquefied natural gas
(LNG) as their fuel as well as ships with dual-fuel engines that are running on
low sulfur fuel. To further position the region as an LNG-port, the initiative
also includes a fee waiver for LNG bunkering vessels.
Japan completed its first-ship-to-ship LNG fueling in October
2020. Recently, Tokyo Bay’s first LNG bunker ship was commissioned.
The incentives are being offered at the ports of Yokohama,
Kawasaki, and Tokyo. Among the types of vessels that are expected to take
advantage of the unique program are the new LNG-fueled car carriers. It also
extends to coastal vessels accessing the ports. Currently, a coastal vessel
larger than 700 gross tons is required to pay a port entry fee while smaller
vessels are exempt from the fees.
Also focusing on the next generation of marine fuels, the
authorities announced that the fee waiver program will be extended to include
the still developing hydrogen fuel sector. This includes ships using hydrogen
fuel cells. The fee waiver for hydrogen-fueled ships will also run for five
years. At this time, however, the program is not being extended to other
experimental technologies including ammonia as a maritime fuel.
The Japanese government has been moving forward with a range
of programs all designed to support the country’s 2050 goals for decarbonization.
The government has been backing research and development efforts for
hydrogen-fueled ships, the first of which are under development currently. The
government is encouraging ports to also undertake zero-emission initiatives of
which this seen as one example to support the shipping industry.