Cyprus key member of BlueBarge project, shipping minister says

Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanoli on Tuesday praised Cyprus’ role in project BlueBarge, which aims to provide moored ships with electricity from rechargeable, green energy batteries. Preparations for the project are underway in Limassol port.

Hadjimanoli highlighted Cyprus’ involvement in the project, emphasising the country’s role in advancing sustainable energy solutions within the maritime industry.

Adaptations to equipment are currently being conducted at the shipyard and anchorage in Limassol to support the BlueBarge initiative.

Furthermore, the BluBarge project, which is co-financed by the ‘Horizon Europe’ programme and has a cost of €11 million, was presented early today in Limassol, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Shipping, members of the responsible consortium from Cyprus, Italy and Greece, as well as executives of the maritime community of Cyprus.

The project involves 14 members from 10 EU countries, including two Cypriot companies, Multimarine Services and Columbia Shipmanagement, the shipping company Danaos, based in Cyprus, as well as the classification society ABS, which is the coordinator of the project.

Moreover, in her greeting, Hadjimanoli expressed her excitement at our country’s participation in this “pioneering initiative, ready to revolutionise offshore electricity for moored ships”.

“As a government, we are extremely proud of Cyprus’ leading role in this project,” Hadjimanoli said, before expressing appreciation to the Cypriot companies participating in the BlueBarge project.

The two companies’ work will be carried out at the Multimarine Services shipyard, in the port of Limassol, and the tests will be carried out on a Cypriot-flagged Columbia Shipmanagement ship, at anchorage.

In addition, she noted that the project is focused on the development of a new model of ship electrification, to reduce polluting emissions and minimise the environmental footprint of shipping, which is “perfectly aligned with the broader goals and strategies of both the government and the Deputy Ministry of Shipping”.

Hadjimanoli recalled that her deputy ministry recently announced a new set of green incentives, aimed at encouraging ship owners to reduce their ships’ emissions and contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.

Additionally, she added, the incentives approved by the cabinet on February 7 concerning the reduction of the annual tonnage tax, up to 30 per cent, for ships that apply preventive measures to minimise their environmental footprint.

“This initiative ensures that shipowners are recognized and rewarded for their efforts towards sustainable shipping practices,” she said.

In addition, referencing shipping’s challenges for decarbonisation, Hadjimanoli noted that by introducing innovative solutions like BlueBarge, “we are not only facing these challenges straight ahead but also paving the way for a more sustainable future”.

As mentioned during the presentation, the project has a defined completion timeline of 36 months and is expected to be delivered in 2026, while the method deployed in the project is estimated to be ready for commercialisation by 2030.