The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority recently awarded 30 marine carriers and terminal operators with a Blue Circle Award for their voluntary efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions in the Port of Vancouver.
This is the 9th consecutive year Disney Cruise Line has been awarded the Blue Circle Award for their voluntary efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions while the Disney Wonder is in the Port of Vancouver. It should also be pointed out that Disney Cruise Line has been a recipient of this award for every year it has homeported in Vancouver.
The Disney Wonder is able to turn off it’s engines and plug into to shore power technology pulling the energy required to run the ship while docked from the port’s electrical grid. Plugging the ship in, eliminates air emissions and powers the ship’s normal operations, such as lights, A/C, etc., with energy that has already been generated from renewable sources in Vancouver like hydro power and wind power.
Three of the Disney Cruise Line ships, the Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy, are able to utilize shore power when it’s available at ports of call around the world.
Eighteen shipping lines, six cruise lines, four coastal marine operators and two terminal operators were the recipients of the 11th annual Blue Circle Awards. The awards recognize industry partners that excel in environmental stewardship and attain the highest level of participation in the port authority’s EcoAction Program and Energy Action Initiative.
2019 Blue Circle Award recipients in EcoAction Program category:
Shipping Lines
- Alliance Maritime & Norbulk Shipping
- CMA CGM
- COSCO SHIPPING
- EUKOR Car Carriers
- Evergreen Line
- Fednav Ltd.
- G2 Ocean
- Hapag-Lloyd
- HMM
- “K” Line
- MAERSK
- MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (Canada) Inc.
- ONE – Ocean Network Express
- Pacific Basin Shipping (Canada) Ltd.
- SM LINE
- TORM
- Westwood Shipping Lines
- Yang Ming
Cruise Lines
- Crystal Cruises
- Disney Cruise Line
- Holland America Line
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Princess Cruises
- Viking
Coastal Marine Operators
- BC Ferries
- North Arm Transportation
- SAAM Towage Canada
- Seaspan ULC
2019 Blue Circle Award recipients in Energy Action Initiative category
- Cascadia Port Management Corporation
- Viterra Pacific Elevators
2019 award highlights:
- “K” Line, Princess Cruises and Westwood Shipping Lines have been awarded every year since the inaugural awards in 2009.
- Hapag-Lloyd has been recognized ten times.
- Disney Cruise Line has received an award for every year it has homeported in Vancouver.
- CMA CGM, HMM, and Mediterranean Shipping Company have won this award for seven consecutive years since 2013.
- Evergreen Line has won this award for five consecutive years since 2016.
“We are proud of the environmental leadership demonstrated by our terminal, shipping, and industry partners,” said Robin Silvester, president and chief executive officer at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. “We are delighted to recognize 30 recipients with a Blue Circle Award this year for their efforts above and beyond regulatory requirements to conserve energy and reduce air emissions. Congratulations to the 2019 award recipients.”
Since 2007, the port authority’s EcoAction Program has recognized a variety of fuel, technology and environmental management options that make ship operators eligible to receive discounted harbour dues rates. In 2018, the port authority expanded its industry-leading EcoAction Program to increase the number of underwater noise-reducing options and updated the air emissions reduction options eligible for discounted harbour dues.
The Energy Action Initiative is a joint program with BC Hydro that helps terminal operators and other port tenants enhance their energy-conservation practices and save costs. The goal of this program is to protect the energy security of our growing port by reducing energy waste.
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority initiatives focused on building and maintaining a sustainable gateway have been widely celebrated. The port has been recognized for sustainability performance by Corporate Knights, MarCom and Clean Tech50.