ESPO is opposed to the hypothesis to impose to the main ports of the net TRIES to equip itself of stations of GNL refueling



The association of the European ports has manifested worry for the intention of the EU commission to obligate the ports that take part of "Core Network" of the transeuropea net of the transports TRY to equip themselves of systems for the distribution of which liquified natural gas to the ships. The disposition today takes part of the package of measures "clean Energy for transport" announced from the EU commission that has the objective to create a net of stations of alternative fuelling in all Europe. After to have focused the attention on fuel and the less polluting motor vehicles, now the intention of Brussels is to take in consideration the net distribution of fuels. The Commission in fact has emphasized that the clean fuel use is hindered by three main factors: the elevated cost of the vehicles, a low level of acceptance by the consumers and the lack of stations of recharges and refueling.

Regarding the natural gas which liquified, the Commission it has evidenced that it is used for the transport for via of water, is marine that fluvial, and that the infrastructures for the refueling of GNL for the ships are still in starting phase: only Sweden - it has found Brussels - is equipped of some infrastructures for marine ships and others are previewed in several Member States. The proposal of directive of the EU commission is that the 139 marine ports are installed stations of refueling of GNL in all and internal of the transeuropea central net IT TRY respective within 2020 and 2025. The Commission has specified that not draft of great gasieri terminals, how much of fixed stations of refueling or furniture.

For the GNL, the proposal of directive it regards also the roads of the transeuropea central net, on which the Commission proposes to install within the 2020 stations of natural gas refueling which liquified every 400 kilometers in consideration of the fact that currently in the entire the EU are only 38 gas stations for the GNL distribution. For the ports, moreover, the legislative proposal of the Commission previews also to promote the use of the net terrestrial electrical worker for feeding the ships moored in the ports.

Emphasizing that the association supports also it development of the GNL as fuel for the ships and that recognizes as the use of the electricity of the terrestrial net for the ships to the mooring in the ports constitutes one of the possible solutions in order to improve the quality of the air in the ports and the bordering city areas, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has specified to receive with favor also the fact that the financings will be made available through the procedures of selection for the realization of the projects TRY, but also evidenced to doubt that the imposition of stations of refueling of GNL in all the main ports of TRY it is an opportune measure, "from the moment that - has explained the association - it cannot be to us a market in all these ports, while it could be to us in other ports "not-Core". "We consider - the general secretary of ESPO, Patrick Verhoeven has explained - than points of GNL refueling would have to be realized in those ports where this has sense effectively".

"Our worry - it has specified Verhoeven - is that the imposition of the infrastructure realization for the GNL which co-financed from the EU in all the ports "Core" in sure cases can carry to the development of structures in great part made unusable or underused". Moreover ESPO considers that the solutions alternatives to the development of the GNL and the use of the electricity of the terrestrial net are and will become available in the near future in always increasing measure.

According to ESPO, solutions "of miraculous type" do not exist in order to improve the environmental performances of the marine transport and, "consequently - it has concluded the association - it is necessary a more careful examination of the effective requirements of the single ports".