DUISBURG/BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The German government plans to provide an additional €400 million over the next four years for climate-friendly modernization of shipping and ports. The money will come from the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF), as Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) said during a visit to the port of Duisburg.
The money will be used, for example, to build shore power and bunker facilities for alternative fuels and for water routes for low-emission ships. The shift of urban commercial traffic to waterways will also be called for. "Details of the funding options are currently being worked out and will be presented in the course of the year," the ministry reported.
The additional revenue generated by the KTF through the inclusion of maritime transport in the EU emissions trading system will be reinvested in the modernization of the maritime economy, said Christoph Ploß (CDU), the German government's coordinator for maritime economy and tourism.
Government coordinator: Coastal states to receive more support
"The additional federal funds will provide significantly more support than before to the five coastal states of Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with their German seaports," said Ploß. . But shipping projects and inland ports will also benefit. This shows that ports and shipping play a very important role for the new government.
The German Shipowners' Association (VDR) welcomed the announcement. "It's not just about new ships, but also about the necessary port infrastructure and the widespread availability of affordable, green fuels," said VDR President Gaby Bornheim. It is therefore crucial that the funds generated through emissions trading flow back into the maritime industry.
Seaport Association: Allocate money quickly to specific projects
According to the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS), it is important that the funds are allocated quickly to projects. These should drive forward structural change in ports, whether in the field of wind energy or low-emission port operations, said ZDS CEO Florian Keisinger.
The association also stated that the financing program could only be a first step. The association estimates that the investment backlog in public port infrastructure amounts to around 18 billion euros nationwide. "The urgently needed modernization of this critical infrastructure can only be achieved through a long-term, sustainable financing strategy," Keisinger added./tob/DP/jha
