Ferries emit ‘more sulphur pollution than cars’ in several EU capitals | Pollution

In several European capitals, ferries spew more sulfur than cars, an analysis shows.

Dublin, Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn are among 13 of Europe’s 15 biggest port cities choked more by sulfur oxides (SOx) from ferries than road vehicles, according to data shared exclusively with the Guardian.

Europe’s aging fleet of nearly 2,000 ferries is a significant but overlooked source of bad air in coastal cities.

Emissions of sulfur oxides – toxic gases that smell like burning matches and rotten eggs – react to form tiny particles that enter the lungs, circulate in the blood and damage organs throughout the body.

Analysis by Transport & Environment (T&E), a clean transport advocacy group, also found that ferries are more polluting than cars in Athens and Rome, which are not included in the ranking because their ports are considered separate cities, as well as in Valletta, Malta’s small capital.

The main non-capital cities on the list include Barcelona, ​​Marseille, Rotterdam and Valencia.

“Ferries should connect communities, not pollute them,” said Felix Klann, maritime policy analyst at T&E and lead author of the report.

Ferries in Europe spend most of their time within five nautical miles of densely populated ports, the report said, and – unlike larger ships that cross oceans – many could run on electricity instead of dirty fuels or expensive synthetic alternatives.

The analysis found it would have been “technically feasible and cost-effective” to electrify 20% of European ferries in 2025, a share that will rise to 43% by 2030 as battery technology improves and prices fall.

“Too many ferries burn polluting fossil fuels, releasing toxic air into European port cities,” Klann said. “Electrifying them could significantly reduce emissions and bring a breath of fresh air to millions of people. »

Analysts modeled air pollution at Europe’s 100 busiest ferry ports using methods from an International Maritime Organization (IMO) study and compared SOx emissions with those from cars, based on vehicle registration data within city limits.

They took into account emissions controls in three regions – the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and, from 2025, the Mediterranean – which limit the sulfur content of ships to 0.1% of the fuel mass. The limit is five times lower than that required by the IMO.

Together, these restrictions have contributed to a 70% drop in sulfur emissions since 2014, according to the European Environment Agency.

The report finds that charging infrastructure requirements are the biggest barrier to adoption, but most ports would only require small chargers under 5 MW.

Sotiris Raptis, secretary general of the European Community Shipowners’ Association, said the EU had introduced ambitious policies to support electrification – including requiring passenger and container ships to use electricity in ports by 2030 – but that “huge” investments were needed to finance the energy transition in shipping.

“What we are missing is investments in clean fuels, energy and port infrastructure to support electrification. »

Dublin Port did not respond to a request for comment. Ingrid Hansson, a spokeswoman for Stockholm Ports, said the majority of their customers operate “well below” the required sulfur content thresholds.

“We’ve been working with land-based power since the 1980s,” she said.

“Today, a large proportion of scheduled ferry services calling at Stockholm ports connect to land-based electricity while at dock, significantly reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides in the port area. »

Ellen Kaasik, environmental manager at the Port of Tallinn, said it has already invested in land-based power supply at five quays and installed automatic mooring systems at three ship berths in the Old Town port.

“Together with our shipping partners, we are currently evaluating other solutions – including charging infrastructure – to introduce electric or hybrid ferries on the Tallinn-Helsinki route,” she said.

The 88km route between the Estonian and Finnish capitals is one of the busiest in the world. The first vessel converted to hybrid technology is expected to begin operations in early 2026, while a fully electrified vessel is in the pipeline.

“Due to the short sailing distance between Helsinki and Tallinn, the route is very well suited for electrified ships,” said Andreas Slotte, head of sustainability at the Port of Helsinki.

He added that ports needed firm commitments from customers and earlier cooperation before they could undertake such large investments.

“Charging infrastructure cannot be planned and built in a vacuum,” he said. “Without the shipping company’s input into the actual requirements of its hypothetical new build, there is little a port can do. »