As pressure mounts to decarbonize Europe’s transport sector, shipping emissions particularly in ports, are emerging as a critical challenge requiring
As pressure mounts to decarbonize Europe’s transport sector, shipping emissions particularly in ports, are emerging as a critical challenge requiring stronger regulatory action, T&E highlights.
The maritime sector accounts for 3% of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, amounting to 145.2 million tonnes of CO2 in 2024. Under current policies, maritime emissions could represent one-third of all transport emissions in 2050.
As explained by Transport and Environment (T&E), between 5-7% of these emissions – or 6.5 million tonnes of CO2 – happen in ports, degrading air quality, worsening climate change and impacting port residents and workers’ health.
In 2023, European ferries emitted 6,848 tonnes of SOx, 64,486 tonnes of NOx, and 2,367 tonnes of PM2.5 while in port. Similarly, in 2022, Europe’s 218 cruise ships produced as much sulphur oxides (SOx) as one billion cars, underscoring the significant environmental impact of maritime activity in port areas.
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation is a key measure to address these emissions, requiring ports to provide shoreside electricity to certain vessels by 2030 and to ensure the availability of alternative fuel bunkering infrastructure across European waters.
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) establishes a common framework of measures for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure in the Union in order to minimize dependence on oil and to mitigate the environmental impact of transport by supporting the uptake of alternative fuels in the transport sector.
Under theFit for 55 package, the European Commission in July 2021 proposed a revision of the directive, upgrading it into a regulation. This makes the targets binding and directly applicable in all Member States.
However, these provisions fall short of achieving full decarbonisation, as the electrification mandate applies only to a limited segment of the fleet, while the fuel requirements focus primarily on fossil-based gas infrastructure.
T&E welcomes the European Commission’s call for evidence and its commitment to accelerating the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, including electrification, in shipping. The ongoing review presents an important opportunity to send a clear regulatory signal, aligned with the Port Strategy and Europe’s broader climate goals—that ports must evolve into key hubs for clean energy.
…T&E highlighted.
A more comprehensive and ambitious regulation is needed to systematically cut down in-port emissions, improve air quality in EU ports, and protect local communities’ health. Beyond the immediate climate and health benefits, it will support the development of electrification and clean fuels technologies, improve seafarers working conditions and strengthen Europe’s energy security in an increasingly unstable world.
Recommendations
- Expand the mandate to include vessels between 400 and 5000 GT, focusing on segments already regulated, to reduce emissions and increase the infrastructure utilisation rate.
- Progressively include all ship types to cover all in-port emissions and support a long-term planning perspective for ports and OPS developers.
- Introduce battery charging infrastructure requirements, to support European ships’ electrification and ensure that battery-electric vessels have access to the necessary charging infrastructure.
- Clarify responsibilities to ensure that all port stakeholders contribute to the investment and development of onshore power supply infrastructure.
- Assess the future demand for marine green fuels in maritime ports through a comprehensive Alternative Fuel Bunkering Assessment covering demand for different e-fuels, suitable locations, key safety and spatial constraints, and measures to support market uptake.
- Develop Europe’s e-fuels bunkering network by requiring Member States to jointly establish a limited number of strategically located renewable hydrogen and e-fuel bunkering hubs across the TEN-T maritime network through cross-border coordination and a shared hub approach.
- Remove the liquefied methane infrastructure requirement, as continued support for LNG infrastructure risks prolonging fossil fuel dependence, increasing methane-related climate harm, while delaying investment in genuinely zero-emission solutions.
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
