EMEA News
EEA Says Reducing Fuel Use Best Way to Reduce Emissions
Reducing fuel consumption is the best way to curb emissions, according to a report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) that argues for environmental approaches that cut both air pollutants and greenhouse gasses at once.
The report recommends both technical improvements to boost fuel efficiency and ship operating procedures that cut fuel use, such as slow steaming.
Reducing ship speeds by 10 percent can cut energy demand by about 19 percent, it says.
The report also says liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkers effectively eliminate emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), drop nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 80 percent, and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) by 20 percent.
"'End-of-pipe' emissions reductions technologies such as sea water scrubbing can also reduce air pollutants, but would not address greenhouse gases," EEA said in a statement about the report.
EEA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said the effects of shipping emissions are complex and efforts to address them must consider multiple issues.
"The choice between either clean air or mitigating climate change is a false dichotomy - Europe needs both," she said.
"By avoiding unnecessary movement of goods and improving transport efficiency, we can address both air pollution and greenhouse gas mitigation together."
The European Union has been working to encourage the use of LNG-powered ships as a way of addressing emissions.
