EPA, ROC, initiated the “Establishment of Port Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory and Drafting of Management Strategies” project in 2009. The goal of the project is to improve air quality of port district in the country and also to fulfill the USA and ROC agreements in the “Port Air Quality Partnership Convention“. The project has established the pollutant emissions inventory for 5 major commercial harbors in the country. Additionally, the project also has formulated appropriate clean air action plan, proposed recommendations regarding air pollution control measures in port districts.
This report has revised the emission inventory of 5 commercial harbors (Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Hualien Harbor) using 2010 as baseline and predict emissions of 2011 to 2021. Processes includes checking new emission factors, reviewing estimating methods and parameters, and inspecting operating data are used to revise the inventory.
The resulted figures showed that Kaohsiung Harbor still has the largest emissions, followed by Taichung, Keelung, Taipei and Hualien Harbor. Each port showed that ocean vessels have the largest emission which almost occupied 90% of total emissions of all pollutants except VOC and CO which occupied 22%~80%. Compared to emissions before, the revised emissions showed decreased in Keelung, Hualien and Kaohsiung Harbor (e.g., NOx decreased -2.2%, -1.0%, -1.0%, respectively). However, revised emissions showed increased in Taipei and Taichung Harbor (e.g., VOC increased 8.9% and 2.9%, respectively).
This project suggested control strategies for two main groups of authorities. For transportation authorities, suggested strategies are: OGV speed reduces to less than 12 knots within 20 nm from port (first priority), OGV switches to use low sulfur fuel (2nd priority), Harbor craft switches to use low sulfur fuel (3rd priority), and OGV uses shore-power while at berth (4th priority).
For environmental protection authorities, suggested strategies are: promote participating of heavy vehicles into self-management, vessel fuel inspection plan. And suggested including following measures into local control plan: establish union inspection system, promote executive of control strategy, establish clean air quality district, combine heavy vehicles self-management database, and held information meetings or conferences.
As for experiences sharing, the project participated “Third Pacific Ports Clean Air Collaborative Conference, PPCAC” on February 2012. Among 125 participants, topics about sustainable supply chain, global climate change, opportunities on new environmental protection issues are discussed. And at 24-27 July 2012, Mr. Luis Troche and Ms. Penelope McDaniel were invited to participated workshops and round table meetings with port and environmental protection authorities in Taiwan. This project also held 2 forums for the harbor authorities and their tenants on September 2012. And an advisory conference was held with experts in the field of air pollution or harbor issues also on September 2012. Valuable suggestions and opinions were collected from these forums and conference.
