During their voyage, vessels produce ship-generated waste. When unloading cargo, waste can remain behind. Consequently, it is important that vessels can deliver their vessel and cargo waste in the port. The port of Ghent compiled its engagements on waste management in a waste management plan that is valid from July 1, 2009 up to and including June 30, 2012.
Facilities
Each seagoing vessel that calls at the port financially contributes to the collection and processing of ship-generated waste, whether it makes use of a facility or not. That is the starting point. Because both on an international and a national level, it is tried to regulate and decrease pollution by seagoing vessels at sea. Instead, ports have to offer facilities for ship-generated waste. This waste comprises for example food rests from the crew, household waste (such as plastic, cardboard, paper), waste oil and maintenance waste from the engine room such as soot, engine parts, paint rests and cleaning cloths. But also waste that has to be put away from loading operations. These are for instance cargo remnants in the holds or in the tanks of the ship after unloading or cleaning.
The captain of a ship or his agent have to notify all information on ship-generated waste to Ghent Port Company by (compulsory) making use of the electronic port information system ENIGMA. All notifications, obligations and where which kinds of waste can be delivered are provided for in the information system. The system is equally used for the whole of the financial transactions. The ease of use of the customers is of course the first matter of importance.
Regular customers and environment-friendly vessels pay less
Every seagoing vessel that calls at the port of Ghent each time contributes 65 Euros. Some seagoing vessels can get part of their contribution back up to a maximum of 45 Euros. This is the case among other things for vessels that sail on environment-friendly fuel, which is called marine diesel. This price is further complemented by a factor that takes into consideration the fuel consumption of each vessel type (e.g. container vessel, fruit vessel, ro/ro vessel, bulk vessel…), the tonnage and expected waste production.
However, a number of seagoing vessels has a right of exemption: vessels that regularly call at the port according to fixed lines, vessels that already made arrangements themselves for delivering their ship-generated waste and vessels that offer their waste in another port on their route.
Below, you can find port of Ghent's waste management plan.