A new sensor has been installed at the Belgian coast in Zeebrugge to monitor the emissions of ships, announced the Ministry of Mobility and Transport in a press release on Tuesday.
One of the world's busiest maritime routes, with 200,000 ships annually, runs along the Belgian part of the North Sea. The emissions from these ships, which include greenhouse gases, nitrogen, sulphur and fine particles, can cause respiratory and lung problems and premature deaths.
To minimise these consequences, a low-emission zone was established over the North Sea with strict requirements. However, until now, the compliance could only be checked through port inspections and a 'sniffer' plane, which flies over the ships to analyse their emissions. Both options are time consuming and could not assess all the ships.
The new sensor. Credit: Transport and Mobility Ministry
The new sensor, temporarily installed at the radar chain traffic control centre in Zeebrugge, will eventually move to a wind turbine. This device will monitor ship emissions around the clock from a distance of 10 km. Ships exceeding the requirements can then be specifically inspected using sniffer planes or onboard checks.
The system will provide data on the most emitted pollutants and the contribution of ships to coastal air pollution. This information will help the Belgian Directorate-General (DG) for Navigation – which monitors shipping traffic and quality – advocate stronger international policies.
The sensor was developed by a collaboration between the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, DG Navigation, and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The project received funding from the National Lottery and DG Environment.
