A comprehensive inventory of ship traffic exhaust emissions in the European sea areas in 2011 (original) (raw)

Research article

|

14 Jan 2016

Research article | | 14 Jan 2016

Abstract. Emissions originating from ship traffic in European sea areas were modelled using the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM), which uses Automatic Identification System data to describe ship traffic activity. We have estimated the emissions from ship traffic in the whole of Europe in 2011. We report the emission totals, the seasonal variation, the geographical distribution of emissions, and their disaggregation between various ship types and flag states. The total ship emissions of CO2, NO_x_, SO_x_, CO, and PM2.5 in Europe for year 2011 were estimated to be 121, 3.0, 1.2, 0.2, and 0.2 million tons, respectively. The emissions of CO2 from the Baltic Sea were evaluated to be more than a half (55 %) of the emissions of the North Sea shipping; the combined contribution of these two sea regions was almost as high (88 %) as the total emissions from ships in the Mediterranean. As expected, the shipping emissions of SO_x_ were significantly lower in the SO_x_ Emission Control Areas, compared with the corresponding values in the Mediterranean. Shipping in the Mediterranean Sea is responsible for 40 and 49 % of the European ship emitted CO2 and SO_x_ emissions, respectively. In particular, this study reported significantly smaller emissions of NO_x_, SO_x_, and CO for shipping in the Mediterranean than the EMEP inventory; however, the reported PM2.5 emissions were in a fairly good agreement with the corresponding values reported by EMEP. The vessels registered to all EU member states are responsible for 55 % of the total CO2 emitted by ships in the study area. The vessels under the flags of convenience were responsible for 25 % of the total CO2 emissions.

Received: 19 Dec 2014

–

Discussion started: 11 Mar 2015

–

Revised: 30 Nov 2015

–

Accepted: 14 Dec 2015

–

Published: 14 Jan 2016