CLINSH Inland Shipping Trial Complete

Six new ships are joining the CLINSH (CLean INland SHipping) sustainable pilot project. With 41 ships from three European countries participating in the pilot project, the fleet is complete. CLINSH aims to improve sustainability in the inland shipping industry. The ships were selected as part of a European tender process.

Measuring equipment is being installed on every ship that is participating in the CLINSH practical trials, after which ship emissions will be monitored and measured on a continuous basis. The trial is expected to yield invaluable information about the environmental performance and operating costs associated with the various technologies.

Practical trial
Ships participating in the CLINSH project run on different engines and fuels and use sustainable technology, such as catalyzers and diesel particulate filters. Participating skippers receive compensation for any modifications that have to be made to their ship. The data collected by the ships will yield insights into the environmental benefits of the various technologies. It will also allow skippers and ship owners to better understand the financial and environmental business cases for specific investments. This is practical information that will benefit other skippers and authorities, financial institutions and interest groups that want to contribute to a more sustainable inland shipping industry.

Lost opportunities
At present, skippers who can demonstrate that their ship is clean or sustainable enjoy certain benefits, such as discounts on berthage and port charges or a higher price for cargo transport. However, improving an individual ship’s sustainability performance often requires high investments. 

With the practical trial, CLINSH aims to map the financial and environmental benefits of the available technologies to assist skippers in their choices.