The Genoa Blue Agreement, the voluntary agreement designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from passenger and freight ships calling at the Port of Genoa, has been renewed. Amongst one of the first ports in the Mediterranean to have promoted a pact in full support of accelerating the clean energy transition, since 2019 the protocol agreement represents a further major step towards the mission, shared by local public authorities and shipping lines and agents, to reduce the environmental impact of port activities across the city of Genoa which sits alongside the passenger and cargo terminals.
The Signing Ceremony for the renewal of the Genoa Blue Agreement was promoted by the Port of Genoa Harbour Master-Coastguards, under the auspices of the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi, with the participation of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, the City of Genoa, Tug-boat Operators and the Industry Associations representing the forty major cruise, ferry and cargo shipping lines which to date subscribe to the agreement to safeguard the local environment.
Specifically, the carriers, which commit to the protocol, pledge to shift to the use of marine gasoil with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.1% by mass in a radius of up to 3 nautical miles (5 km) from the port – a provision which will be introduced by law as of next year upon the designation of the Mediterranean as a Sulpher Emission Control Area – and not only restricted to vessels docked at the port, as per current legislation in force. This marks a concrete voluntary step in the path towards the achievement of a sharp reduction in carbon emissions into the atmosphere, by pre-empting future regulations. A key feature of the revised Genoa Blue Agreement, valid until 1st May 2025, is its further extension to all classes of vessels, with an added focus on ferries, and on ships which deploy scrubbers and those powered by LNG and alternative biofuels, and calls for the regular overall monitoring of emissions.
The renewed Genoa Blue Agreement forms part of a package of green port policies implemented by the Port Authority of Genoa and Savona-Vado Ligure to minimise the environmental impact of port activities on the city, with a focus on the provision of ship-to-shore power supply, already available at the Port of Pra’ and the Shipyard Area in Genoa, and with new facilities on track to be installed in the passenger ports of Genoa and Savona by the beginning of 2025.
