Japan's Environment Minister Tours Zeebrugge's Car Terminal to See Shipping's Green Push

A delegation of twelve Japanese government officials, led by Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara, spent three hours touring the finished vehicle terminal run by International Car Operators, or ICO, at the Port of Zeebrugge earlier this month.

ICO, part of Japan's NYK Group, operates vehicle terminals at both Zeebrugge and Antwerp that serve as major entry and exit points for cars moving in and out of Europe, handling everything from cargo logistics to pre delivery inspections. As part of the visit, the group toured the Wild Rose Leader, an LNG fuelled car and truck carrier operated by NYK, with the ship's captain and chief engineer guiding officials through the bridge and engine room.

A pitch for greener shipping rules

Alongside the ship tour, NYK briefed the visiting officials on its wider decarbonisation strategy and its efforts to influence EU policy on the issue, pointing to steps already under way at the Zeebrugge site, including on site wind power generation and shore power systems that let roll on roll off vessels plug into renewable electricity while docked rather than running on their own engines.

NYK said it intends to keep pushing decarbonisation through its work with ICO and other partners, framing the effort as central to building more sustainable supply chains and keeping the industry competitive as shipping shifts toward next generation fuels.