Trend analysis of ship emissions

Ships plying in European waters in 2000 released 3.6 million tonnes of NO_x and 2.6 million tonnes of SO₂. If left unchecked, emissions will rise by 10-30 percent during the next decade, which means that by 2010, ship emissions could be equivalent to more than three-quarters of the EU total for SO₂ from land-based sources, and about two-thirds of that total for NO_x.

Fishing vessels are responsible for very little (no more than 2 percent) of total pollutant emissions from ships, while ferries account for 11-12 percent. The remaining 86 percent or so comes mainly from cargo vessels.

About 95 percent of all emissions take place at sea, and 5 percent occur while ships are in or near port.

Some 40 percent of all the estimated maritime releases of air pollutants occur from ships moving between ports in the EU. About an equal amount comes from ships either leaving or arriving in EU ports, while 12 percent comes from ships traveling either to or from ports in EU candidate countries. The remaining 7 percent comes from ships passing through European waters, but not entering either EU ports or candidate-countries' ports.

These figures come from a study made for the EU Commission by the consultants Entec. The study covers all the waters surrounding Europe: the Baltic Sea, the North Sea (including the English Channel), the northeastern Atlantic, and the Mediterranean.

Christer Agren
Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain <www.acidrain.org>

For more information: <europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ air/background.htm>