Many ships found breaching pollution limits despite tighter controls | Shipping emissions

New research found that a significant proportion of ships violated air pollution limits.

Although the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established rules for shipping pollution. since 2005it is difficult to understand what happens when ships go to sea.

In response to this challenge, Professor James Lee from the University of York began measuring air pollution from individual ships. He said: “We wanted to see how widely the new rules were being followed and then look at the impact on the atmosphere. We flew FAAM aircraft from the UK and Portugal to investigate in 2019 and then again in 2021 and 2022.”

British FAAM aircraft began life as a prototype short-haul airliner with approximately 100 passengers. It currently reaches 18 explorers and four tons scientific equipment.

Dr Dominika Pasternak, one of the study's researchers, said: “The hardest part was finding the plume. We had to position the FAAM aircraft in the area of ​​operation. The person at the airport used a ship tracking website and transmitted the coordinates, course and visual description via satellite.

“We often flew just 30 meters over the water. With data on wind speed and direction, ship speed and heading, some trigonometry and very skillful piloting, we were able to intercept 130 ship plumes.”

On the open ocean, eight of 19 ships emitted more sulfur than allowed in 2019. These included a 61,900 ton container ship and an 86,100 ton crude oil tanker. Five ships out of 78 exceeded the stricter limits in 2021 and 2022.

A tougher air pollution zone applies in the English Channel and North Sea. This was largely effective, but here two of the 33 ships violated the limit. In one case, a 200,000 ton container ship was found to be violating open ocean sulfur limits, but later switched to cleaner fuel when it was sampled closer to land in the English Channel and North Sea.

Air pollution from the combustion of marine fuel can be measured further inland – V London for example – and it was health damage in 2017 was estimated to cost the UK £1.5 billion..

Lee had a message for policymakers: “Sulfur reduction shows that regulation can have an effect. Our work also showed that ships are a significant source of local air pollution when they sail close to shore.”

“As the road vehicle fleet becomes cleaner, shipping and aviation are likely to be the main sources. Any policy to reduce these should be considered.”

The IMO is expected to adopt a new emissions control area for shipping around the western UK and north-east Atlantic, which will come into force from 2027.