Suchergebnisse

In recent times, there is an increase in installations of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) on ships due to international regulations on sulphur content restrictions in marine fuels. EGCS reduce sulphur oxide emissions by cleaning exhausts but instead emit polluted acidic water to the marine environment. The present report provides an overall review on the status quo of EGCS, with special focus on discharge water. It is based on a literature review and covers technical aspects, market analyses, regulatory framework and research activities related to this topic. The market analyses indicate that the current number of ships with EGCS is above 3,000, representing more than 16.8% of the dead weight tons (DWT) of the global fleet. The future development of the EGCS market may be affected by the fluctuation of fuel prices, the uncertainty in fuel demand and availability, the modification of legal framework and the development of new technologies. Several deficiencies were identified in the discharge water quality criteria established in the EGCS Guidelines of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Further, prior research studies demonstrated an acidic pH and the presence of several pollutants such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oil residues and nitrate in relevant concentrations in EGCS discharge water. In addition, ecotoxicological analyses indicated toxicity effects and that the single-pollutant approach alone is not sufficient for the environmental risk assessment of EGCS discharge water. Thus, despite the current regulation, concerns regarding the impacts on the marine environment due to these emissions remain. Considering that, present and future studies should provide valuable input to the process of appropriate regulation.

Die Elbe ist - wie alle anderen großen Flüsse Deutschlands - eine Bundeswasserstraße. Seit Jahren diskutieren Verkehrs-, Wasser- und Umweltverwaltungen untereinander und mit Schifffahrts- und Umweltverbänden, ob und wie sich die Binnenschifffahrt an der Elbe mit ökologischen Anforderungen in Einklang bringen lässt. Wiederanschluss von Altarmen, ökologisch optimierte Buhnen und Rückdeichungen haben bereits Erfolge gezeigt. Zentrale Fragen sind: Wie lässt sich der gute ökologische Zustand der Elbe erreichen? Was bedeutet das für die Schifffahrt an der Elbe? Das Umweltbundesamt (UBA) will mit diesem Papier Informationen bereitstellen, die deutlich machen, welcher Randbedingungen es bedarf, die Schifffahrt und den Schutz der natürlichen Lebensräume in Einklang zu bringen.

Im Rahmen des hier dargestellten Projektes ist eine Black Carbon (BC)-Messkampagne an der Universität Rostock erfolgreich ausgeführt worden. Die Messkampagne wurde vom 11. bis zum 22. Juli 2016 von der Universität Rostock, dem National Research Council Canada (NRC), dem Helmholtz Zentrum München und AVL durchgeführt - unterstützt durch Marena Ltd., CE Delft und das Öko-Institut. Die Messungen sind an dem Motorenprüfstand im Labor der Universität Rostock unter Verwendung eines einzylindrigen Dieselmotors mit Direkteinspritzung (1VDS18/15CR), sechs BC-Messinstrumenten (PAX, LII-1, LII-2, TOA, AVL 415SE und MSS), unter Verwendung drei verschiedener Treibstoffe und bei verschiedenen Motorleistungen durchgeführt worden. Nach der Messkampagne sind die Messergebnisse analysiert und in drei Submissionen beim Unterausschuss für die Verhütung und Bekämpfung der Meeresverschmutzung (PPR) der Internationale Seeschifffahrts-Organisation (IMO) veröffentlicht worden; zwei Submissionen zur vierten Sitzung des PPR in 2017 (PPR4/INF9, PPR4/9/4) und eine Submission zur fünften Sitzung des PPR in 2018 (PPR 5/INF.10). Diese Submissionen sind gemeinsam von Kanada und Deutschland eingereicht worden. Sie wurden in Zusammenarbeit von Marena Ltd., dem NRC Canada, der Universität Rostock, AVL, dem Umweltbundesamt und den zuständigen Ministerien der beiden Staaten erarbeitet. In der Submission PPR4/INF.9 "Technical details of a multi-instrument Black Carbon measurement campaign" sind die technischen Details der Messkampagne und in der PPR4/9/4 Submission "Results of a multi-instrument Black Carbon measurement campaign" sind die Ergebnisse der BC-Messungen dargestellt worden. In der dritten Submission PPR 5/INF.10, "New findings of a multi-instrument Black Carbon measurement campaign" sind nach weiteren Analysen der Messdaten weitere Ergebnisse präsentiert worden.

International regulations for reducing sulphur emissions in the maritime sector have introduced Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS), commonly referred to as "scrubbers", as a reduction technology to minimize atmospheric sulphur emissions. Numerous flag States, organizations and ship operators carry out research to address the concern that the use of EGCS might shift the pollution from the atmosphere to the marine water body by additional energy expenditure. Although this technique may improve the air quality, the consequences for the marine environment are still unclear and an environmental risk assessment of this technique is still not standardized. The main aim of this study is to provide a basis for the evaluation of the increasing use of EGCS technology on seagoing ships, particularly with regard to water and marine environment protection. The focus was on gaining more knowledge on the wash water composition and to estimate expected wash water quantities to be released into the marine environment by seagoing ships. The study is based on the information gathered from five ships: three ships with a hybrid system, which were sampled under open and closed-loop conditions, and two ships with an open-loop system. The standard water parameters and the main pollutants such as heavy metals, PAHs, nitrate/nitrite, oil content and suspended particular matter, were analysed. The investigations show, among other things, pronounced pollutant profiles in the wash water samples, significantly increased pollutant concentrations in the closed-loop samples and significant variations between the on-board online unit and the parallel comparative measurements, which were carried out with a system quality-assured by the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). Discrepancies between the data from both units were identified; especially concerning the turbidity and PAHPHE measurements. Further research and calibration standardization work are needed for a clear definition and understanding of PAHPHE as a threshold value. A major part of the study was the dispersion modelling for developing a distribution simulation of wash water and potential concentration of pollutants based on AIS data for the Baltic Sea and North Sea Region. The results showed that the wash water accumulation in the Baltic Sea is higher than in the North Sea due to lower water exchange. Although wash water is only emitted in the surface layer, vertical distribution data suggest that substances emitted by EGCS can also reach deeper layers within one year. The study concludes that EGCS may improve the air quality in harbor cities and at sea but will shift atmospheric pollution to the marine water body. Further research is needed for a better quantification and evaluation of the total impact on the marine environment of this relatively new and emerging abatement technology. This has to include an environmental risk assessment of this new technology, providing sound scientific data for future recommendations and for a revision of related regulations.

Following the implementation of international regulations to reduce sulphur oxide emissions in maritime shipping, scrubbers are used on about 25 % of the world merchant fleet (measured by deadweight tonnage). In the present study, a sampling and measurement campaign was conducted on board four ships with focus on the chemical characterisation and the determination of ecotoxicological effects of scrubber discharge water. Heavy metals such as vanadium, nickel, copper, iron and zinc as well as organic pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (even beyond the ones included in the US EPA priority list) and oil residues, were found in elevated concentrations. The whole effluent toxicity of the scrubber discharge waters ranged from practically non-toxic to considerably toxic for the open loop to extremely toxic for the closed loop operation mode samples. Further, almost all samples demonstrated mutagenic and the closed loop samples, dioxin-like effects. Thus, the release of scrubber discharge water from both operation modes into the sea is of high concern. This effluent is acidic and contains persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic pollutants that may cause short- and long-term detrimental effects in the marine environment. In this regard, the current discharge criteria and regulatory measures were found to be insufficient and other protective measures for the marine environment such as local or regional discharge bans are proposed.

Güterverkehr hält die Welt am Laufen. Der Güterverkehr in Deutschland ist in den letzten 30 Jahren stark gewachsen und zwar um 75 Prozent. Seine klimaschädlichen Emissionen liegen heute rund 25 Prozent höher. Die weiterhin hohen Belastungen durch Schadstoffe, Lärm und Flächenverbrauch bleiben eine Kehrseite des Güterverkehrs. Das Umweltbundesamt (⁠UBA⁠) legt mit dieser Broschüre eine Vision für einen umweltschonenden Güterverkehr im Jahr 2045 vor und empfiehlt über 70 Maßnahmen. Die Maßnahmen für internationale, nationale und lokale Verkehre würden die notwendigen Veränderungen zur Erreichung der Vision einleiten und wichtige Weichenstellungen vornehmen. Die Broschüre richtet sich an Wirtschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft.