Estimating Transportation-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Port of Busan, S. Korea

Abstract

The port of Busan is the fifth busiest container port in the world in terms of total mass of 20-foot equivalent units transported. Yet no attempts have been made to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the port of Busan by accounting for all port-related activities of the various transportation modes. With these challenges in mind, this study estimates the first activity-based GHG emissions inventory in the port of Busan, which consists of four transportation modes: marine vessels, cargo-handling equipment, heavy-duty trucks, and railroad locomotives. The estimation results based on the most recent and complete port-related activity data are as follows. First, the average annual transportation GHG emission in the port of Busan during the analysis period from 2000 to 2007 was 802 Gg CO₂-eq, with a lower value of 773 Gg CO₂-eq and an upper value of 813 Gg CO₂-eq. Second, the increase in the transportation-related GHG emissions in the port of Busan during the analysis period can be systematically explained by the amount of cargo handled (R²=0.98). Third, about 64% of total GHG emissions in the port of Busan were from marine vessels because more than 40% of all maritime containerized trade flows in the port were transshipment traffic. Fourth, approximately 22% of the total GHG emissions in the port of Busan were from on-road or railroad vehicles, which transport cargo to and from the port of Busan. Finally, the remaining 14% of total GHG emissions were from the cargo handling equipment, such as cranes, yard tractors, and reach stackers.