News

Shipping Emissions to Quadruple by 2050

Source: Port Technology International

December 3rd 2014

Emissions such as carbon dioxide and mono-nitrogen oxide that emit from cargo ships are expected to quadruple by 2050.

The Journal of Commerce reported the International Transport Forum (ITF) as stating in its ‘Shipping Emissions in Ports’ report that carbon dioxide is expected rise by 70 million tons and mono-nitrogen oxide by 1.3 million tons.

Lack of regional easing measures combined with strong port traffic growth in Asia and Africa will see both continents experiencing the biggest increase in emissions.

In contrast, North American and European ports will show a decline in emissions due to better reduction measures and stricter regulations such as emissions control areas.

Olaf Merk, ITF’s administrator of ports and shipping and author of the report said: “Ship emissions in ports follow a highly skewed distribution pattern, with more than a third of the emissions occurring in only 50 ports.”

“This points to the concentration of air pollution in selected environmental hotspots, but also suggests that policy interventions with respect to environmental externalities, such as on shore power supply, would be most effective if focused on these places.”

Other measures that can be used to lower shipping emissions at ports include alternative fuels such as liquefied natural gas and technical measures such as structural changes to ports to improve efficiency or improved ship engines.

Merk concluded: “Considering that most of the largest ports in the world are Asian or European ports, that is closer to the efficiency frontier, the opportunities of reducing global shipping emissions in ports by improving port efficiency remains essential, but might actually have relatively limited impact.”