Key barriers to adopting onshore power supply to reduce port air pollution: Policy implications for the maritime industry in South Korea

Abstract

One of the most serious problems the world currently faces is global warming caused by greenhouse gases and pollution emissions. Despite the effectiveness of onshore power supply (OPS) in seaports for reducing environmental pollution, its use rate in ports in South Korea is low. Nevertheless, no study has analyzed the barriers to using OPS or explored ways to reduce air pollution from vessels. To fill this gap, this study explores why Korean liner shipping companies avoid using OPS. After a comprehensive literature review and expert interviews to identify key barriers, fuzzy AHP is employed to rank 16 barriers under four key factors. The research shows that the technical standards (BF22) of technical factors are the most significant barriers to the use of OPS. In addition, there is a differentiation in the awareness and views of using OPS among Korean liner shipping companies. This study offers insightful recommendations for developing government OPS policies.