NEW YORK - As part of the agency’s ongoing initiatives to be a good steward of the environment, the Port Authority Board of Commissioners today approved an incentive program for ocean vessels that call on the Port of New York and New Jersey.

The three year, $4.875 million Ocean-Going Vessel Clean-Vessel Incentive (CVI) program aims to encourage ship operators to improve their engines, use cleaner fuels, and upgrade their technology to reduce emissions from ocean-going vessels, which are the largest source of air pollutants at port-related facilities. 

The Port Authority anticipates approximately 600 vessels a year will participate in the CVI program, which will provide annual emission reductions of 182.2 tons of nitrogen oxide, 38.3 tons of particulate matter, and 264.1 tons of sulfur dioxides.

Today’s action is the latest initiative the Board has undertaken as part of its comprehensive strategy to make Port Authority operations cleaner and more environmentally friendly. That strategy includes environmental programs already underway at other Port Authority port and aviation facilities as well as at the World Trade Center site.

“Dramatically reducing air pollution, while keeping the port economically competitive, is a win for the port community and those who live in the region,” said Port Authority Chairman David Samson. “This initiative furthers our longstanding commitment to be a responsible steward of the environment in the Port District, and is yet another example of how we are working with the private sector to improve the air quality at our port facilities.”

As part of the Port Authority’s Clean Air Strategy, the CVI provides financial incentives to ships achieving a score of 20 points or higher based on the World Port Climate Initiative’s Environmental Ship Index (ESI). The ESI is a worldwide mechanism that awards points to vessels that exceed the environmental standards set by the International Maritime Organization.  Additional points are allocated to vessels that participate in the speed-reduction program, which would reduce speed to no more than 10 knots starting 20 nautical miles from the entrance to the New York New Jersey harbor.

Currently, 14 European ports have an ESI incentive program.  The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey would be the second U.S. port, after the Port of Los Angeles, to adopt an ESI incentive program.

The Clean Vessel Program is just one of many initiatives designed to protect the environment in and around Port Authority facilities.