Atmospheric Emissions in Ports Due to Maritime Traffic in Mexico

Atmospheric Emissions in Ports Due to Maritime Traffic in Mexico

Gilberto Fuentes García, Rodolfo Sosa Echeverría, José María Baldasano Recio, Jonathan D. W. Kahl, Elías Granados Hernández, Ana Luisa Alarcón Jímenez, Rafael Esteban Antonio Durán

Atmospheric emissions from vessels at 38 Pacific and Gulf-Caribbean Mexican ports were determined for nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulates, carbon monoxide, non-methane volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide. The emissions have been estimated using a bottom-up methodology in the maneuver and hoteling phases, by vessel type, from 2005 to 2020. Maritime traffic in Mexico’s Pacific zone contributes approximately with 60% of the country’s total ship emissions, with the remaining 40% in Gulf-Caribbean ports. The highest atmospheric emissions were found at the Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas ports on the Pacific coast, as well as the Altamira and Veracruz ports on the Gulf-Caribbean coast. The contribution of the atmospheric emissions by vessel type at Pacific ports was Container 67%, Bulk Carrier 32%, Tanker 0.8%, and RoRo 0.4%. For Gulf-Caribbean ports it was Container 76%, Bulk Carrier 19%, Tanker 3%, and RoRo 2%. This study incorporates the International Maritime Organization implementations on reductions of sulfur content in marine fuel, from 4.5% mass by mass from 2005 to 2011, to 3.5% from 2012 to 2019, to 0.5% beginning in 2020. Overall, sulfur dioxide emissions were reduced by 89%.

2021

air pollution, atmospheric emissions, emission factor, hoteling phase, maneuvering phase, maritime zone

10.3390/jmse9111186

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

MDPI AG

Oceanography, Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering