Akzo Nobel Industrial Chemicals and the Nederlandse Particuliere Rijnvaart Centrale (NPRC, a cooperative of independent barge owners in the Netherlands) announced that they have signed a five-year contract which will significantly reduce NOx and soot particle emissions from barges used to transport salt from the salt plant in Delfzijl to the chlorine production plant in Rotterdam.

Under the agreement, the owners of the five dedicated inland barges (each of them with a capacity of 2,800 t) used for the supply of salt to Akzo Nobel's Rotterdam chlorine plant, will have their engines reconstructed. The installation of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system will result in an annual NOx reduction of 78% - from about 100 tons per year to 22 tons. In addition, filter technology will reduce emissions of soot particles by 98% (from 5 tons to 0.1 ton per year). Akzo Nobel will pay a surcharge per ton which will help the barge owners to cover the investment over the forthcoming years. In addition, they will receive substantial subsidiaries from the Dutch Government.

The reconstruction of the barges motors will start now and is expected to be finalized by September.