Abstract
Shore power systems, an alternative energy source to ships at berth, have the potential to improve air quality at ports and surrounding areas. This study assessed the reduction of four major air pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, NOx, and SO2, from adopting shore power at the Port of Kaohsiung. The reduction was assessed in two scenarios, S1 and S2, with a capacity to provide shore power to 342 and 780 ships at berth, respectively. The emissions from the ships were estimated based on the operation loads of the auxiliary engines, average time at berth, and emission factors. Additionally, the AERMOD model was used to simulate the ground-level dispersion of the four pollutants to the surrounding urban areas. The simulation results showed that the elevated areas in the city were vulnerable to ship emissions, especially for NOx. The maximum simulated contribution at ground level from S1 and S2 were 78.8 µg m–3 and 147 µg m–3 for NOx, and 20.1 µg m–3 and 42.5 µg m–3 for SO2, respectively; while the results for PM10 and PM2.5 were insignificant. The reduction benefit was then calculated as the ratio of the simulated air pollutant concentration to the observed concentration at the local air quality monitoring station. The highest reduction benefit of shore power adoption at the port was for NOx and SO2 emissions, with average reduction benefits of 8.70% ± 2.10% and 11.74% ± 2.95%, respectively. In conclusion, shore power adoption at the Port of Kaohsiung would greatly reduce air pollution in the port city, especially in residential areas, and be consider
Highlights
Maritime transport, which accounts for 80–90% of all global trade (Balcombe et al, 2019; Sadiq et al, 2021), is a notoriously major emitter of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxides (SO2), and particulate matter (PM)
Based on Eqs. (1) and (2), the emissions of NOx, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 were estimated for the two scenarios in 2019 using 2.7%-sulfur (HFO) and 0.5%-sulfur (MGO) fuels (Table 2)
Wan et al (2019) estimated that SO2 and PM10 emissions could be reduced by 74.0% and 68.1%, respectively, if ships docking at the Port of Shanghai used 0.5%-sulfur instead of 2.7%-sulfur fuel
Summary
Maritime transport, which accounts for 80–90% of all global trade (Balcombe et al, 2019; Sadiq et al, 2021), is a notoriously major emitter of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxides (SO2), and particulate matter (PM). Zhong et al (2020) reported that international shipping accounted for 16% of the total anthropogenic SO2 emissions in 2014. The international maritime organization (IMO) spearheaded the development of the international treaty, Marine Pollution Convention (MARPOL) Annex VI, to address ship emissions. Effective on January 1st, 2020, the treaty mandates ships to use fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.5% m/m. This adoption has led to significant SO2 emission reductions from docking ships. Wan et al (2019) estimated that SO2 emissions could be reduced by 74.0% when ships use 0.5%-sulfur instead of 2.7%-sulfur fuel while docking at the Shanghai Port. More sustainable measures should be considered to curb air pollution further, including adopting shore power systems
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