The port authorities of Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre and Bremen/Bremerhaven strongly support the submissions of the North Sea and Baltic countries to designate the North Sea and Baltic Sea as Nitrogen Emission Control Areas (NECAs) by 2021.
Together they call upon IMO's Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) members to support these submissions during their seventieth Session to be held on the 24-28th October 2016 in London.
Environmental Footprint
European Ports experience tremendous pressure to reduce their environmental footprint. Ports that accommodate important industrial clusters and are located in the vicinity of residential areas and/or Natura 2000 sites in particular feel the urgency to reduce their emissions in order to maintain their license to operate. With the submission to designate the North Sea and Baltic Sea as NECAs, there is a huge opportunity to further decrease the harmful impact on the environment.
NECAs Reduce NOx-emissions
The shipping industry is responsible for an increasing share of (nitrogen-oxide) emissions, which contribute to nitrogen depositions in protected Natura 2000 sites and to NOx-concentration levels in residential areas. Whereas significant advances have been made to curb nitrogen emissions from land-based sources, the shipping industry has despite some first initiatives not yet been able to achieve the same results.
International studies have shown that the designation of a NECA is an effective way to reduce NOx-emissions from seagoing vessels. There is a range of proven technologies available to comply with these NECA requirements including dual fuel engines or pure gas engines that can operate on LNG, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR).
'IMO Key for NOx-reduction'
Global standards implemented by the IMO provide the building blocks to effectively reduce emissions from maritime transport, say the port authorities. The IMO NOx Tier III requirements for vessels built from 1-1-2021 onwards and operating in NECAs are the key instrument for NOx-reduction. These requirements push down NOx-emissions, which have detrimental effects on air quality and health, by about 75% compared to the Tier II, which are requirements that apply for all vessels built since 2011.
