The system gives two levels of extra recognition to clean ships, with many ways of qualifying, the ACP said. Vessels with EEDI efficiency numbers 20 percent below baseline get Level 1, 30 percent below baseline get Level 2. There are similar provisions for the Environmental Ship Index and for NOx emissions, and any vessel with an LNG-fueled engine qualifies for Level 2 - giving LNG carriers an automatic leg up.

Vessels that qualify for Level 1 will receive an additional 10 percentage points for each transit through the Canal towards their overall customer ranking, and vessels that qualify for Level 2 will receive an additional 20 percentage points per transit to improve their rank.

"We're rewarding those who make conscious efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in technology that will make shipping even more efficient,” said Panama Canal administrator Jorge Quijano.

The Canal has an existing ranking system for customers, which it uses when figuring out bookings for transits, based in part on how often a vessel operator uses the canal. 

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