Smoke on the water
A report by Jonathan Rincon, Milana Palej, Egor Smirnov, Daria Strogalshikova and Marie-Sophie Petersen
The two cities Hamburg and St. Petersburg are not only connected by a 60-year partnership but also by very similar environmental challenges, that are mainly caused by their ports, which are the hearts of their economies. There, where numerous cruise ships and container ships operate, there is also a considerable amount of toxic emissions, that not only harm the environment, but also pose a threat to all living creatures. Yet, this enemy is often invisible and hidden in the air in form of microscopical particles.
Air Pollution in Sankt Petersburg
In order to find out how polluted the city of Sankt Petersburg is, to what extend the competent authorities are aware of the influence of ships on the air quality in the city and what measures are currently being taken to tackle this problem, it was necessary to carry out an interview with the State Company "Mineral", a governamental entity in charge of monitoring air and water quality in the city of Sankt Petersburg and its sorroundings.
Air Pollution in Hamburg
In Hamburg there is both on a governmental level and in the society in general a big concern in terms of the air quality being seriously affected by the cruise ships and container ships operating in the city port. As a matter of fact, there are numerous sources that provide credible information about the current situation. Nevertheless, there are also NGOs that use every opportunity to put the local government under pressure in order to achieve harder and faster regulations in the environmental policy of the city of Hamburg. To find out more about these two perspectives two interviews were requested: one with the NABU director, Malte Siegert, who is in charge of environmental topics related to means of transportation. See the highlights of this interview in the following video. And one with the Hamburg Port Authority, that could not take place due to a very busy schedule at the Hamburg Port Authority.
Away from the Misery - Looking for Ways out
That the air pollution problem becomes more and more eminent is also demonstrated by the measures currently being taken to improve the air quality in and around the ports. For example, the State Company "Mineral" led by Nikolay Philippov carries out regularly air measurements in St. Petersburg and transfers this data to the "Committee of Nature Management and Environmental Protection", which prepares environmental protection recommendations for the central government in Moscow. In Hamburg, on the other hand, the air quality is even permanently monitored by the Institute of Hygiene and Environment. This, however, not at least because the city is subject to the "Clean Air Plan", a strategy paper in which the measures that should be taken to save 1.160 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions until 2025 are written down. Because the limits of the air quality directive set by the EU have been and are still repeatedly exceeded - especially in and around the port. By 2025, a total of 1,160 tons of nitrogen dioxide are to be saved by using the measures of the "Clean Air Plan", such as provide the shipowners alternative power supply, eco-friendly fuels and changing work processes within the port, especially where the containers operate.
While in St. Petersburg no specific measures have yet been taken on how to reduce air pollution caused by ports, the "Hamburg Port Authority" (HPA) has started on January 1st 2018 to collect an environmental component as a part of the port fees that the port users must pay. It is measured on the "IAPP certificate" to be submitted. This means that vessels that do not have an IAPP certificate and / or have been classified as less environmentally friendly pay higher taxes than ships that have been awarded as special environmentally friendly. The latter even get discounts. "The environmental component is certainly a good start, but overall, it does little to improve the situation," notes Malte Siegert, head of environmental policy at the "Nature Conservancy Association" (NABU) Hamburg. "Because the discounts or fines are still so small that they are no incentive for many shipowners to convert their ships to environmentally friendly."
Further, the NABU found out in a study that in highly frequented days - such as the yearly celebrated birthday of the harbor "Hafengeburtstag" - the air in the harbor contains up to 230.000 toxic fine particles per cubic centimetre. In comparison: one "clean" cubic centimetre air contains just up to 1.000 particles. As much as 68 % of this is due to container ships or rather the nitrogen oxide emitted by them. In order to reduce this enormous figures, the "Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG" (HHLA) began to use battery-powered, automated guided vehicles for containers operating in 2011 at the container terminal Altenwerder after a successful test run. In this way, CO2 emissions per container should be reduced by up to 30 % by 2020 - not at least because the entire terminal is supplied with electricity from renewable energies. "This project not only shows that it is possible to operate a complete container terminal electrically, but also the high potential ports have to reduce emissions" Malte Siegert sums up.
Battery-powered vehicle for container handling
Photo: HHLA
Liquefied Natural Gas - The Magic Formula?
Nowadays, many European cities try to minimize the air pollution caused by ships fuel combustion. The first was Kopenhagen who came up with an idea of turning off the engines while the ship is standing at the port and connecting it to the terrestrial electrical network so that the electricity services in port operations such as lighting, ventilation, heating and kitchen no longer have to be generated by on-board diesel generators which release a large amount of toxic sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and soot during the combustion process.
But the St. Petersburg "Commitee for Natural Management" states that the city has n't got enough energy resources to make this idea work there. In Hamburg, there's already an example, launched in 2014: the LNG (liquid natural gas) barge named "Hummel" at the cruise terminal in Hamburg-Altona. It joins the cruise liners and supplies them with electricity from liquefied natural gas.
However, currently only one cruise ship uses this service - the "AIDAsol". This is partly because the cost of shore electricity is three times higher than the on-board electricity generation, and secondly because most cruise ships are simply not capable of refueling shore electricity: they lack the necessary connections and many shipowners are not willing to have them installed because of high costs. Nevertheless, the construction of another shore power plant at the cruise terminal in HafenCity is already in the planning stage. From 2021, the "Queen Mary 2" is to receive there the electricity during their visits to Hamburg.
In Russia the only active factory for this kind of fuel is the "Sakhalin-2" project. And exactly in Leningrad Oblast, in Ust-Luga, the "Gazprom" company is going to build the second liquefied gas factory in Russia.
But the St. Petersburg "Commitee for Natural Management" states that the city has n't got enough energy resources to make this idea work there. In Hamburg, there's already an example, launched in 2014: the LNG (liquid natural gas) barge named "Hummel" at the cruise terminal in Hamburg-Altona. It joins the cruise liners and supplies them with electricity from liquefied natural gas.
However, currently only one cruise ship uses this service - the "AIDAsol". This is partly because the cost of shore electricity is three times higher than the on-board electricity generation, and secondly because most cruise ships are simply not capable of refueling shore electricity: they lack the necessary connections and many shipowners are not willing to have them installed because of high costs. Nevertheless, the construction of another shore power plant at the cruise terminal in HafenCity is already in the planning stage. From 2021, the "Queen Mary 2" is to receive there the electricity during their visits to Hamburg.
In Russia the only active factory for this kind of fuel is the "Sakhalin-2" project. And exactly in Leningrad Oblast, in Ust-Luga, the "Gazprom" company is going to build the second liquefied gas factory in Russia.
Photo: teknoblog.ru
"Baltiisky SPG"
The "Baltiisky SPG" is a liquefied gas factory that is being built on the base of the Ust-Luga seaport by "Gazprom". The factory is expected to use innovative technologies and new inventions that can decrease the air pollution and minimize the influence on the environment. In recent years, the liquefied natural gas market has demonstrated a sustainable growth. "Gazprom" considers the expansion of liquefied gas usage in Russia as an issue of national importance.
The "Baltiisky SPG" is a liquefied gas factory that is being built on the base of the Ust-Luga seaport by "Gazprom". The factory is expected to use innovative technologies and new inventions that can decrease the air pollution and minimize the influence on the environment. In recent years, the liquefied natural gas market has demonstrated a sustainable growth. "Gazprom" considers the expansion of liquefied gas usage in Russia as an issue of national importance.
Nevertheless LNG is not only suitable as a fuel for electricity, but also as a low-emission, odorless fuel for ships. As part of a test project involving ten shipping companies based in Hamburg, a total of 20 vessels fueled the synthetic diesel fuel over a period of four months. Intermediate as well as final measurements showed that the emissions of soot particles were reduced by up to 70 %, nitrogen oxides by 20 % and carbon dioxide by 9 % respectively.
As a result of the project's success, the city decided to press ahead with the expansion of the LNG infrastructure in the port of Hamburg so that even more shipping companies will be able to supply their ships with the eco-friendly fuel. And to advance with the conversion of the fleet of ships: For example, the "Clean Air Plan" earmarks the scenario that by 2020 0.5% and 2025 5% of all seagoing vessels docking at the port of Hamburg will be converted to LNG. The situation is similar with the ships that operate of the city adminstration within the port (52 in total): by 2020, 1% of the tugs and ferries are to be converted, in 2025 the number is said to have increased tenfold.
Some of these ships already drive with LNG; others are faced with the problem that they are simply too old for retrofitting - only 15 can be retrofitted at a cost of between 50,000 and 150,000 euros for each vehicle. And so far, it is unclear who will pay for the immense conversion costs.
All measures dedicated to the fight against air pollution cost lots of money, but are tremendously necessary, if we want to prevent more damage. Yet, since all shipping companies around the globe would not cooperate so easily, regulation is the only way to put an end to high air pollution levels in cities and ports. Malte Siegert explains in the following video how ports in other parts of the world tackle this problem.
As a result of the project's success, the city decided to press ahead with the expansion of the LNG infrastructure in the port of Hamburg so that even more shipping companies will be able to supply their ships with the eco-friendly fuel. And to advance with the conversion of the fleet of ships: For example, the "Clean Air Plan" earmarks the scenario that by 2020 0.5% and 2025 5% of all seagoing vessels docking at the port of Hamburg will be converted to LNG. The situation is similar with the ships that operate of the city adminstration within the port (52 in total): by 2020, 1% of the tugs and ferries are to be converted, in 2025 the number is said to have increased tenfold.
Some of these ships already drive with LNG; others are faced with the problem that they are simply too old for retrofitting - only 15 can be retrofitted at a cost of between 50,000 and 150,000 euros for each vehicle. And so far, it is unclear who will pay for the immense conversion costs.
All measures dedicated to the fight against air pollution cost lots of money, but are tremendously necessary, if we want to prevent more damage. Yet, since all shipping companies around the globe would not cooperate so easily, regulation is the only way to put an end to high air pollution levels in cities and ports. Malte Siegert explains in the following video how ports in other parts of the world tackle this problem.
How can citizens become more
aware of this silent enemy?
aware of this silent enemy?
Not only environmental protection organizations put pressure on the local governments: in recent months, the topic of "air pollution coming from ships" in Northern Germany has been experiencing a significant "media boom". Numerous television broadcasters, such as the public channel "NDR", included this topic in their programs and even the regional daily and weekly newspapers such as the "Hamburger Abendblatt" went to the bottom of the matter.
As a result, more and more private individuals and companies are willing to contribute in the fight against air pollution in cities. So also the startup founders Robert Heinecke and Sascha Kuntze. They came up with the idea to make sensors accessible to everyone who wants to measure air quality indoors or outdoors. In the following Video CEO of Breeze Technologies Robert Heinecke explains what his company is all about.
As a result, more and more private individuals and companies are willing to contribute in the fight against air pollution in cities. So also the startup founders Robert Heinecke and Sascha Kuntze. They came up with the idea to make sensors accessible to everyone who wants to measure air quality indoors or outdoors. In the following Video CEO of Breeze Technologies Robert Heinecke explains what his company is all about.
"It is good and important that more and more media and people are made aware of the topic," says Malte Siegert, "because only where consciousness exists, action can be taken." Like the manual "Clean Air in Ports" refers: "Our conclusion is is that we would already have a green port if we were to put all the technical and regulatory possibilities that exist in a single port into one bundle. Currently, ports have very different approaches, and overall, this is not enough.
Although there is awareness about air pollution in both cities, only a few citizens are aware that ports make up a large proportion of the bad air quality: Widespread is the thought that the wind blows the toxic soot particles away. In addition, many Russians are not interested in the alarming statistics on air pollution at all – "public ignorance" dominates, as Angelina Davydova, a freelance journalist from St. Petersburg, calls it in her article "There's something in the air in Russia".
This example shows that it is time to enlighten the population about this problem, but above all it is time that concerned citizens and organizations make local governments do much more to protect the health of their citizens.
This example shows that it is time to enlighten the population about this problem, but above all it is time that concerned citizens and organizations make local governments do much more to protect the health of their citizens.
It is time that the common interest and the human right to clean air prevails over the private interest of some companies and finally people can breath clean air again not only in Hamburg and St. Petersburg but around the entire globe.
