As part of our clean shipping vision, the Port of Amsterdam is working towards emission-free shipping by 2050. We are committed to becoming a multi-fuel port, enabling the safe and efficient bunkering of new clean marine fuels. To accommodate these future fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia, ensuring the safety of bunkering operations is essential. In recent years we have therefore introduced a bunker permit system, based on audits of bunker operators’ safety management systems, and the mandatory use of IAPH bunker checklists to ensure operational safety.
Yet, another key consideration is spatial safety — deciding where bunkering can take place while protecting nearby populations. To address this, we commissioned studies to define safe distances for each future marine fuel, producing a detailed risk assessment. These insights led to the creation of a map identifying berths suitable for bunkering, based on distances to vulnerabilities. As the risks of bunkering differ per type of bunker operation, the challenge was to make this map both dynamic and interactive — a system that tracks each bunkering event at each berth for every fuel type and recalculates safety distances in real time.
We developed an online tool, in which bunker operators apply for bunkering by entering key details: bunker location, fuel type, quantity, hose type, and flow rate. The system then calculates a berth-specific safety radius and checks for nearby vulnerable structures (e.g., offices or homes). The map then updates to show whether bunkering is allowed (green), annual limits are being reached (yellow) or bunkering not allowed (red). Now in a pilot phase and set to fully launch in Autumn 2025, this tool introduces a dynamic, tailored, and interactive safety framework for each fuel at any berth.