Maritime
Hydroville
CMB wins Sustainability Award
with hydrogen-powered ship
T
he second Sustainability Award presented by the port
of Antwerp has gone to the shipping group Compag-
nie Maritime Belge (CMB). With this award the three
organisers – Antwerp Port Authority, the Scheldt Left
Bank Corporation and Alfaport-Voka – seek to highlight
sustainable initiatives by port users and to encourage
sustainable enterprise by port companies. CMB has won
the award with its "Hydroville" shuttle, the first passenger
vessel to be powered by hydrogen.
Hydrogen-powered passenger shuttle
Together with the points awarded by the jury, members of the general
public voting online were able to determine that the Sustainability Award
should go to CMB, making it a worthy successor to Ecluse, winner of the
first award two years ago. The Antwerp-based shipping group was singled
out for its "Hydroville" shuttle, the first passenger vessel to be powered
by hydrogen. This is a pilot project that will serve as a testbed for hydro-
gen technology on a wider scale, thus contributing to more sustainable
travel between home and work. In its citation the jury commended CMB
for pioneering the way with this promising, future-oriented project which
will act as a catalyst, lowering the barriers to entry for other players in the
market. The jury also emphasised the significance of the project for other
countries where hydrogen is seen as the fuel of the future.
As the second-ever winner of the Port of Antwerp Sustainability Award,
CMB will now take its place alongside Ecluse with a specially designed
stone along the "Walk of Sustainability" at the foot of Port House
"Together with the rest of the port community we are working towards
a sustainable port," declared Port Authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren.
"Thanks to this joint commitment we are achieving concrete results in
making such a transition. The entries for this award make it abundantly
clear that here in this port we have a wealth of sustainability initiatives
that can inspire other companies. I am especially proud to be able to pres-
ent this award today to CMB as a splendid example of how a commercial-
ly-driven project can offer high sustainability gains."
Alexander Saverys, CEO of Compagnie Maritime Belge, for his part
commented: "We are particularly gratified and proud with this Port of
Antwerp Sustainability Award. With our investments in new, sustainable
technologies such as the Hydroville we aim to make ourselves and the
Antwerp maritime cluster ready for an exciting future. From its base in
Antwerp, the beating heart of maritime Europe, CMB aims to further place
its stamp on international shipping with innovative ship designs and the
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Credit : portofantwerp.com
development of low-carbon energy sources."
Award for sustainable initiatives
The port of Antwerp as the leader in creating sustainable added value
aims to encourage all companies operating in the port to make effective
contributions in the transition towards a more sustainable port. For this
purpose the Sustainability Award is presented every two years jointly
by Antwerp Port Authority, the Scheldt Left Bank Corporation and Al-
faport-Voka. This award recognises a project that contributes towards
such a transition and that helps on a local level to achieve the Sustainabil-
ity Development Goals outlined in 2015 by the United Nations.
A total of 16 companies and organisations active in the Antwerp port
area responded to the general invitation to enter the competition that
was issued before the summer. The specialist jury headed by port Alder-
man Marc Van Peel selected a shortlist of three entries with the emphasis
on creative, participative and innovative solutions. Along with the final
winner CMB the other two shortlisted entrants were Ashland Specialities
Belgium and BASF Antwerp. The jury commended Ashland Speciali-
ties for the way in which it recycles rainwater, while BASF Antwerp was
singled out for its new
waste-saving aniline
Port Authority CEO Jacques
plant with energy
Vandermeiren and Alexander
recovery.
Saverys, CEO of Compagnie
Biennial Sustainabili-
Maritime Belge
ty Report
Ever since 2011 the
organisers of the Sus-
tainability Award have
also been the driving
force behind the bien-
nial Sustainability Re-
port published by the
Antwerp Port Commu-
nity. The 5th Sustain-
ability Report due to be
published in June 2019
will be a touchstone
for the port's ambition
to remain the leader
in creating sustainable
added value. https://
www.sustainableporto-
fantwerp.com/en/
Credit : Credit : portofantwerp.com