Emission footprint of 2019 cruise traffic in the port of Dubrovnik

Abstract

In this study, the environmental footprint within a designated area is determined by an inventory of air pollutants (including toxic and greenhouse gases) emissions generated. The designated area of concern is the port of Dubrovnik, a well-known cruise ship destination, where a major source of pollutant emissions is the diesel engines of the ships operating in the port. This research was undertaken for the port of Dubrovnik in connection with the development of the national strategy and the need for determining the inventory of air pollutants. It was conducted for the last pre – COVID- 19 year, 2019. In this paper, after a short introduction, the basic data of the port of Dubrovnik and the marine traffic (predominantly cruisers) in 2019 are provided, obtained from publicly available data. Next, the emission estimate methodology based on a bottom-up approach is described. The inventory analysis was undertaken from the port boundary to the PWD (pier/wharf/dock) and back. The basic equations for evaluation during cruising, maneuvering, and hoteling are given along with the corresponding data. The aggregated results are presented in the form of tables and column charts. These results show that the generation of CO2 highly dominates. Regarding the pollution analyzed NOx dominates. The results of this study could be of interest for later studies on environmental pollution in the region of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the Croatian coast.