Environment/energy

Study: European Ferries Emit More Sulphur Than All City Cars

Should ferries electrify immediately or is gradual transition the only realistic path forward?

Published MAR 3

Study: European Ferries Emit More Sulphur Than All City Cars

Story

Above: A freight ferry destined for the U.K. leaves Dublin Port on Jan. 31, 2024. Image credit: Brian Lawless/PA Images/Getty Images

The Facts

A study by the NGO Transport & Environment, which examined 1,043 ferries across Europe's 100 busiest ferry ports, has found that ferries in European port cities such as Barcelona, Dublin and Naples emit more sulphur oxides than all cars in those cities combined.
guardian
SAFETY4SEA
In 2023, European ferries analyzed by Transport & Environment emitted 13.4 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 6.6 million cars over a year. Barcelona was identified as the European port responsible for the highest ferry CO2 emissions.
AutoWeek
T&E
Dublin is currently the most polluted ferry port in Europe in terms of air pollution, followed by Las Palmas and Holyhead. This ranking is expected to change in 2027, when new emission control areas limiting air pollution from maritime fuels come into place in the North-East Atlantic.
T&E
SAFETY4SEA
The average age of ferries in Europe is 26 years. According to Transport & Environment estimates, 60% of Europe's ferry fleet could run on battery power by 2035, with over half being cheaper to operate than fossil-fueled vessels.
AutoWeek
SAFETY4SEA
Ferries are already subject to regulations, including the IMO's MARPOL Convention and EU legislation such as the FuelEU Maritime Regulation and the Emissions Trading System. The EU requires ships above 5,000 GT to progressively reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the energy used onboard.
guardian
T&E
According to the analysis, the main barrier to scaling up electric ferries is charging infrastructure, though 57% of ports would only need small chargers below 5MW. The Port of Helsinki noted that charging infrastructure cannot be planned without input from shipping companies regarding their vessel demands.
guardian
SAFETY4SEA

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Reports focused solely on high emissions compared to inner-city cars generate a false comparison for transport designed to operate long-distance between multiple locations. Ferries reduce prices, tolls and human fatigue, making them a net benefit to society even if more progress on their environmental impacts can be made.

Ferryhopper

Narrative B

Cruise ships in Europe emit more sulphur oxides than one billion cars, yet the industry keeps expanding, with 360 ships carrying record rates of passengers. Though new fuels take massive investment and infrastructure that doesn't yet exist at scale, making efficiency improvements and gradual transitions is the only realistic path forward — it is clear that change is desperately needed.

BBC News