DNV GL signed a letter of intent with the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) at the recent SMM event, to increase sustainability and reduce the emissions of its own vessels.
Claudia Flecken, Member of the HPA Executive Board, and Torsten Schramm, President of DNV GL – Maritime, agreed to join forces in boosting the sustainability of the existing HPA fleet and all new acquisitions.
Frank Horch, Hamburg’s Senator for Economy, Transport, and Innovation, said: “Hamburg wants to contribute to reduce emissions in the harbour. An important milestone on this journey is centralising the management of the municipal fleet under the roof of the HPA. This way we can make full use of all possibilities for reducing the emissions from the city’s own vessels. DNV GL has extensive technical expertise in this area. I am convinced that today’s agreement between DNV GL and the HPA will deliver valuable insights.”
In June this year, the Hamburg Senate decided that the HPA would take over Hamburg’s entire municipal fleet as of 1 July 2017 and integrate it into its existing fleet. The Senate’s decision was preceded by a resolution of the Hamburg Parliament in April 2016, which requested that the Senate modernises the city’s fleet.
The HPA currently operates 31 vessels, including surface sounding vessels, pilot vessels and ice breakers. Fire-fighting vessels and harbour police vessels, as well as launches and bridge inspection vessels from the municipal fleet, will be added next year. After the transfer, the HPA will have a total of 49 vessels.
By Jake Frith
