New research shows a sizable share of shipping emissions can be reduced through electrification
New research suggests that 10% of international shipping emissions occur within port areas globally. The finding offers hope that these emissions can be effectively mitigated via mature electrification technologies such as cold ironing at berth, switching to battery electric propulsion whilst idling or manoeuvring at port and converting vessels engaged with short-sea routes to battery-operated ...
A recent study indicates that approximately 10% of global shipping emissions transpire within port areas, presenting an opportunity to significantly cut these emissions through electrification technologies. The UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group has developed an interactive tool, the 'Shipping GHG Emissions Explorer,' to better understand this issue.
Utilizing a dataset of 1.2 million voyages from over 43,000 vessels, the tool highlights how 575 million tonnes of CO2e emissions from international shipping can be linked to specific countries' economic activities.
James Stewart, a Research Fellow at the UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group, explains that while AIS-centred big data has enhanced understanding of energy demands and GHG emissions associated with shipping, the tool provides users with unprecedented clarity. It allows users to explore aggregate data directly on the platform, with options to validate statistics using complementary datasets.
The tool offers insights into energy demand and GHG emissions during port and voyage phases, categorized by vessel type, port, and maritime trade partner. Upcoming updates in September will provide additional statistics on state-level seaborne trade volumes and potential economic impacts of proposed IMO NZF amendments. Yoseph Ismail, a Research Assistant at the UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group, emphasizes that the tool's ability to differentiate between 'in port' and 'in voyage' emissions has provided valuable insights.
For example, in the Latin America/Caribbean and East Asia Pacific regions, small island nations contribute disproportionately high 'in port' emissions, often exceeding 20% of global and regional averages. Further analysis into the causes of these high emissions could lead to more cost-effective solutions for reducing them.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
