The Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) has raised concerns about the imminent Emissions Trading System (ETS) and its potential impact on Asian and American ship routes, reports Port Technology.
The ETS is set to be applied gradually from this year until its full implementation in 2026.
“It must be ensured that there is no carbon leakage linked to the reorganisation of the maritime networks”, the PAV alleges.
Levying environmental taxes
As a result, Valenciaport has selected the locations to be watched in order to compile a list of ports that may be utilised for this purpose.
Furthermore, it alleges in its complaints that environmental taxes should be levied on ships that stop there.
In this way, the competitiveness of the European and Spanish ports would be guaranteed and the application of measures in favour of the reduction of emissions would be assured.
This rerouting would result in a loss of competitiveness for EU ports, reducing present transhipment business to two ports outside the European Union: Tanger Med (Morocco) and East Port Said (Egypt).
As a result, “the Port Authority of València is in full agreement with the inclusion of both under Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council,” according to its charges.
Rise in transhipment activity
Similarly, Valenciaport anticipates that the Turkish port of Tekirdag Asyaport will become a region that will attract transhipment activity in the near future.
As a result, it is requesting that the EU place it on the list of ports to be watched since “it meets the criteria set by the Directive as it is located less than 300 nautical miles from a port under the jurisdiction of a Member State.”
An official from PAV stated: “We understand that the EU must pay due attention to the evolution of other ports located in the Mediterranean area, as they have installed operational capacity that makes them potential enclaves to which important volumes of transhipment could be diverted.”
This month, PAV hosted the first floating solar energy prototype in marine seas.
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Source: Port Technology
