First vehicles carrier joins Green Award
Car carrier Apollon Leader is the first of its kind to join the Green Award programme. Also, the ship’s owner, Japanese Mitsubishi Ore Transport Co. Ltd., was recently certified, together with its bulk carrier Santa Isabel.
Car Carrier Apollon Leader, built in 2008 and flying the Panama flag, is 199,9 meters long, 32,26 meters wide and can carry 6,341 vehicles. The ship is owned by Japanese Mitsubishi Ore Transport and operated by NYK Line.
In 2019 the Green Award Foundation added Roll-on/Roll-off cargo ships as the eighth type of seagoing ships to its certification programme. It was the result of interest shown by various stakeholders including shipping companies, ports, and cargo associations within the field of ro-ro cargo. The requirements for this type of ship are mainly aligned with all other ship types available for certification, but extra attention is given for fire safety, cargo operations and ship stability.
Mitsubishi Ore Transport, a group company of NYK Line, enters the Green Award program with not only the Apollon Leader, but also with its bulk carrier Santa Isabel. The vessel is 2020 build capesize bulk carrier, flying the Panama flag. The 300 meter long and 50 meters wide ship has a gross tonnage of 109,872 and is Japan’s first bulk carrier that obtained a Green Award certification.
“We consider this to be a recognition of the high level of quality of our ship management, but we do not see this certification as the goal,” Mr. Kazuo Ogasawara, President of Mitsubishi Ore Transport states. “We will act quickly to further evolve our standards and strive to establish safe navigation at the top level in the industry.”
“We’re very pleased to welcome Mitsubishi Ore Transport and both the ships to the Green Award family,’’ says Green Award’s Executive Director Mr. Jan Fransen. “The entering of the Apollon Leader into our programme is a highlight as it is the first time we’ve certified a vehicles carrier.”
Green Award is a world-wide recognized quality mark for ships and their owners that exceed the applicable standards in the field of safety, quality, and environmental performance in the maritime industry. The quality mark is awarded by the Green Award Foundation after a voluntary audit and survey. Green Award certificate holders are the front-runners of the maritime industry that strive for excellence.
Green Award, a non-profit organisation, promotes the pursuit of the highest standards in the maritime industry through a certification programme. At present over 1.400 ships are certified, and the programme is supported by more than 175 incentive providers like ports, maritime service providers and suppliers. Green Award has implemented into its certification programme both over 200 actions as mentioned in the UN’ adopted “17 Sustainable Development Goals” as well as the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.
