Calculating a Drop in Carbon Emissions in the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain) from Domestic Shipping Traffic Caused by the COVID-19 Crisis

Vanessa Durán-Grados, Yolanda Amado-Sánchez, Fátima Calderay-Cayetano, Rubén Rodríguez-Moreno, Emilio Pájaro-Velázquez, Antonio Ramírez-Sánchez, Sofia I. V. Sousa, Rafael A. O. Nunes, Maria C. M. Alvim-Ferraz and Juan Moreno-Gutiérrez
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Vanessa Durán-Grados: Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, College of Marine, Nautical and Radioelectronics Engineering, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Yolanda Amado-Sánchez: Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, College of Marine, Nautical and Radioelectronics Engineering, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Fátima Calderay-Cayetano: Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, College of Marine, Nautical and Radioelectronics Engineering, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Rubén Rodríguez-Moreno: Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, College of Marine, Nautical and Radioelectronics Engineering, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Emilio Pájaro-Velázquez: Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, College of Marine, Nautical and Radioelectronics Engineering, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Antonio Ramírez-Sánchez: Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, College of Marine, Nautical and Radioelectronics Engineering, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
Sofia I. V. Sousa: LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Rafael A. O. Nunes: LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Maria C. M. Alvim-Ferraz: LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Juan Moreno-Gutiérrez: Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, College of Marine, Nautical and Radioelectronics Engineering, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish government declared a State of Emergency, and domestic passenger ship traffic was restricted in Spanish ports. This manuscript presents scenarios of emissions from domestic shipping traffic in the seas of the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain) over three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emissions were estimated for only 90 days of the pandemic, and two scenarios were studied: emissions while vessels were berthed at the Algeciras Port and emissions as a consequence of the interruption of passenger ship transportation in the Strait of Gibraltar. To this end, the authors’ own model was used, which has near zero uncertainties. This model was used for the first time in this study and takes into account both meteorological and sea condition parameters, as well as the efficiency of the propulsion system. The manuscript concentrates on the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and particulate matter (PM) from six Ro-Pax ships that ceased to operate. The main finding is that as a consequence of the pandemic, reductions of up to 12% were found in the Strait of Gibraltar in all the pollutants and GHGs when taking into account all international traffic, while the decrease in emissions from domestic traffic only reached 51%.

Keywords: shipping emissions; greenhouse gases; Strait of Gibraltar; COVID-19; SENEM model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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