Emission Measurement and Health Impact Analysis

Air pollution from shipping is a major contributor to global health problems, especially in coastal areas, with an estimated 265,000 deaths linked to shipping emissions in 2020 alone. (Mueller, N., Westerby, M., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2023). Health impact assessments of shipping and port-sourced air pollution on a global scale: A scoping literature review. Environmental Research, 216, 114460.) Toxicological studies have shown that particulate matter from ships can cause serious health problems, including cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The NAUTILUS project, funded under the European Commission’s H2020 program, aims to address this problem by developing, testing, and evaluating a novel Genset for large passenger ships. This Genset based on the use of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) in combination with batteries, providing a cleaner alternative to traditional diesel combustion engines (ICE). By transitioning to this hybrid technology, the NAUTILUS project seeks to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 targets and reduce harmful ship emissions by 99%.

A key component of the NAUTILUS project is not only the design and validation of the SOFC-battery hybrid Genset but also the assessment of shipping-related emissions and their impact on public health. To achieve this goal, the project team from Lund University is conducting local assessments of population exposure, with a final Health Impact Assessment (HIA) report to be delivered at the end of the project. The emissions are evaluated to understand how pollutants from shipping, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), affect populations in port cities. In Hamburg (Germany) and Trelleborg (Sweden), two cities with large ports, the population's exposure to PM2.5 from shipping was analysed. The findings revealed that 0,4% of deaths in Trelleborg and 1,4% of deaths in Hamburg can be attributed to particulate air pollution from ships. These results highlight the significant health burden caused by shipping emissions. In order to extend the data-base for the analysis, additional port cities, such as Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Le Havre, and London, were included in further analysis that is currently underway.

To mitigate negative health impacts attributed to shipping, the NAUTILUS project is focused on designing and testing a hybrid Genset based on SOFC technology, coupled with batteries. An on-site demonstrator is currently being launched at the DLR premises in Stuttgart. One of the key activities at the demonstration site will be measuring emissions from the SOFC system's chimney. Data on emissions, collected in an emission sampling box installed on a metallic structure (surrounded by brown colour) next to the SOFC system, will be tracked and stored in the emission tent (surrounded by brown colour) constructed at the site and they will be further analysed by team of the Lund University. This setup is crucial for evaluating the performance of SOFC technology in near real-world conditions and for quantifying its potential of the SOFC – battery Genset to reduce harmful emissions. A key objective of the project is to fill the existing data gap by gathering accurate emission data under simulated sailing conditions, based on real ship energy profiles.

Picture 1: Location of the main components of the Genset demonstrator at DLR Stuttgart

The health benefits of replacing traditional ICEs with SOFC technology are significant. Preliminary analysis shows that SOFC systems have the potential to reduce key pollutants—particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulphur dioxide (SO₂)—by up to 99%, greatly reducing the health risks associated with shipping. Follow us to get the update after the onsite measurements conduced at the demonstrator site in Stuttgart.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 861647.

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