Emissions visibility company VesselBot has published a report containing its first analysis of CO2 port emissions using factors such as engine load factor, engine power, vessel speed, utilisation rates, and real-time location data.
By using so-called ‘primary data’ concerning the aforementioned factors, Vesselbot says it can put together detailed analysis of specific vessels, routes, and time periods. According to the company, the insights from those data points can then be used to make informed decisions on how to reduce emissions effectively.
Vesselbot says that the total CO2 emissions at the ports covered in its report were calculated by adding up emissions from main engines and auxiliary engines.
To calculate these emissions, Vesselbot took under consideration the following factors: the power of the engines, how long the ship is operating, how much CO2 is produced per unit of power (emission factor), how much of the engine’s power is being used (load factor), and the ship’s current speed compared to its maximum speed. The latter is calculated using a formula that compares the ship’s current speed to its maximum speed.
Key findings from major ports
Port of Rotterdam
The first port to be analysed in the report is the Port of Rotterdam, which showed notable congestion patterns.
The highest congestion at anchorage was recorded on March 27, 2024, with 10 vessels waiting to enter, while the highest berthing congestion was on February 16-17, 2024, with 17 vessels docked.
The CO2 emissions heat map for the port also highlights significant emission hotspots, indicating areas where vessels spent considerable time idling or manoeuvring.
Port of Singapore
Singapore’s port, which has hit the headlines lately due to high congestion levels, exhibited the highest congestion levels with 12 vessels at anchorage on March 13, 2024, and 31 vessels at berth on March 3, 2024.
Despite this, the report finds the port’s operations were highly efficient, with a CO2 intensity of only 4.74 kg per TEU, making it one of the most efficient ports in the study.
Port of Long Beach
Over on the West Coast of the US, Long Beach experienced its peak congestion between March 1-3, 2024, with three vessels at anchorage and 13 vessels docked on January 24, 2024.
The port’s CO2 emissions were moderate compared to other major ports, suggesting efficient handling of traffic and emissions management.
Port of Piraeus
The Greek Port of Piraeus was another port analysed in the report. Its figures showed significant efficiency despite lower overall traffic volumes.
The highest congestion was recorded with five vessels at anchorage on January 11, 2024, and nine vessels at berth on January 8 and February 18, 2024. Its CO2 intensity was the second lowest after Singapore.
Port of Shanghai
Shanghai, one of the world’s busiest ports, was also included in Vesselbot’s research. It had the highest congestion with 23 vessels at anchorage on February 1 and April 1, 2024, and 28 vessels docked on January 16, 2024.
Despite handling the largest volume of TEUs, the port’s CO2 intensity was the highest at 11.35 kg per TEU, indicating room for efficiency improvements.
Port of Houston
Finally, Houston’s port showed similar patterns to other major ports, with peak congestion recorded on February 1 and April 1, 2024, with 23 vessels at anchorage and 28 vessels docked on January 16, 2024. The port’s CO2 emissions were relatively moderate.
The impact of congestion
The report concludes that ports with higher congestion, such as Singapore and Shanghai, tend to have higher emissions due to increased idling and manoeuvring times.
Moreover, Vesselbot concludes that larger vessels, while more efficient in terms of emissions per TEU, can “contribute significantly to overall port emissions due to their greater power requirements”.
Lastly, the analysis also underlines the importance of considering both total emissions and emissions per unit of cargo to assess port environmental performance accurately.
Photo: Bruno Corpet (Quoique), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons