Evaluation of emission reduction strategies for berthing containerships: A case study of the Shekou Container Terminal

Abstract

Abstract Containerships operating or berthing at ports contributes much to the drastic air pollution in port cities. In the paper, a multi-agent-theory-based simulation model is established and the impact of three different emission reduction strategies, namely, a shore power system, switching to low-sulfur marine fuels, and increasing quay crane efficiency on container ports’ emission reduction and their associated costs are analyzed with a case study of the Shekou Container Terminal in China. The objective is to lay a theoretical foundation for government to optimize its pollution reducing strategies with costs and emission reduction target considered. The results show that the shore power system achieves the highest comprehensive emission reduction effect for only one strategy adopted. A combination of shore power system and increasing quay crane efficiency has the highest emission reduction potential for pair strategies adopted. All three strategies combined acquire the most significant emission reduction and there is no negative correlation among these three strategies. From the perspective of economic benefits, a low-sulfur fuel oil strategy achieves the best performance in carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide reductions. The research also suggests that if government has sufficient fund, usage of shore power system should be given priority; otherwise, a low-sulfur fuel oil measure is suggested.