Shipping and Air Pollution Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering the vocabulary, environmental impacts, regulations, and technological solutions related to shipping and air pollution as presented in the lecture.

Bunker fuel (Heavy Fuel Oil)

Residual heavy fuels used by $95\,\%$ of the world fleet, characterized by high viscosity, low cetane number, and high levels of bitumen, particulate matter, and sulfur.

How much of world trade is carried by sea, how many ships and what weight of cargo?

90% of world trade across 100,000+ ships and 100Gt registered

What happened to seaborne trade trends in 2024?

They grew

What engines do 95% of ships use?

Diesel with 50% of shipping costs are attributable to fuel costs

Shipping emission patterns?

Shipping maintains a low GHG emissions per tonne/km compared to other modes of transport. However, emits significant $NO_x$, $SO_2$, and PM

What percentage contribution does shipping have for air pollutants?

>10% global PM, 12% $SO_2$, and 13% $NO_x$

And an increase of $CO_2$ By 4.9% in 2021

Global sulphur limit since 2020.

Global sulphur limit is 0.5% in fuel

What are annex I, II, and III of the UNCLOS?

I and II: established zoning principles

III: Created a comprehensive legal regime in Oceans. States must implement standards developed through the competent international organisation.

Nitrogen Oxides ($NO_x$)

Pollutants formed during high-temperature combustion with long retention times, causing respiratory illness and serving as precursors to ground-level ozone ($O_3$).

Sulphur Oxides ($SO_x$)

Gases produced from the oxidation of high sulfur content in fuel during combustion, leading to respiratory illness and environmental acidification.

Particulate Matter (PM)

Soot and ash originating from the carbon content of fuel that causes respiratory illness, disrupts cloud formation, and reduces albedo.

Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs)

Designated maritime zones with stricter regulation of $0.1\,\%$ fuel sulfur content, in place since 2015.

IMO (International Maritime Organisation)

An inter-governmental organization established in 1948 responsible for shipping safety, maritime security, environmental concerns, and efficiency of shipping.

MARPOL Annex VI

The section of the 'United Nations Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships' that regulates air pollution, specifically $NO_x$, $SO_x$, and energy efficiency.

Top-down modeling approach

Method using global fuel use data to calculate overall bunker fuel consumption and then attributing emissions based on ship and engine statistics; often results in underestimation.

Bottom-up modeling approach

Method using real fleet statistics, engine characterization, and actual vessel movement data to estimate emissions with improved geographical and overall accuracy.

Open-loop scrubber

An exhaust gas cleaning system where acidic seawater is used to scrub $SO_x$ and is subsequently discharged into the marine environment.

Closed-loop scrubber

A system that re-circulates treated freshwater and sodium hydroxide ($NaOH$) to clean exhaust gases, with a small bleed-off to a treatment plant or holding tank.

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)

A primary $NO_x$ control technology that reintroduces exhaust gas into cylinders to reduce oxygen and increase heat capacity, lowering peak combustion temperatures.

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)

A post-combustion abatement technology that reduces $NO_x$ by $80\text{-}90\,\%$ by converting nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water using a reducing agent and a catalyst.

Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)

A mandatory requirement for new ships over $400\,\text{GT}$ to meet a minimum energy efficiency level expressed in $gCO_2$ per unit of transport work.

Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP)

A mandatory operational plan for individual vessels that uses the SMART principle to achieve best practices in fuel-efficient operations and equipment handling.

Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI)

A voluntary indicator that measures the efficiency of a ship in operation in grams of $CO_2$ per tonne/mile.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

A clean-burning alternative fuel primarily composed of methane ($CH_4$) that produces $20\,\%$ less $CO_2$ emissions than diesel and has nearly all sulfur removed.

Universal Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS)

A comprehensive regime of law and order for the world's oceans established in 1982 that requires states to implement international standards developed by the IMO.

Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC)

The body within the IMO that conducts meetings every nine months to discuss and regulate environmental concerns within international shipping.

Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)

A Kyoto Protocol policy that takes into account the specific needs of Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) in international agreements.

EMERGE Project

A 4-year European research initiative (2020-2024) evaluating the effects of emission reduction solutions and their impact on marine environments and human health.