Environmental cost and eco-efficiency from vessel emissions under diverse SOx regulatory frameworks: A special focus on passenger port hubs

Abstract

Emissions related to economic activities including shipping and its contribution to the degradation of air quality, health and built environment in port-cities increasingly raise attention. Sustained market growth and shipping, also deriving into pollution concentration and an exposure increase over residents and visitors, stresses the need to identify and internalize environmental impacts. In order enhance abatement actions towards shipping sectors, this paper estimates for the first time the environmental cost and eco-efficiency performance indicators from vessel traffic in general and passenger sub-sectors in particular under diverse geographical and regulatory contexts. Emission assessment (NOx, SOx, PM2.5, CO and CO2) of EU (Las Palmas), non-EU but SECA (St. Petersburg) and non-EU non-SECA (Hong Kong) ports is based on the full bottom-up Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM) and messages transmitted by the Automatic Identification System (AIS) over a twelve-month period. Environmental cost is obtained from a top-down approach and the latest seaport-related cost figures. At last, eco-efficiency performance indicators are presented as the ratio of product/service impacts (externality costs) its added value (port profiles). Results present a first approximation to the externality cost of shipping traffic by sea and in port. Conclusions support international and regional policy design within the selected harbours and ports under similar traffic conditions.