Estimation of ship emissions in the port of Taranto

The shore-side electrical power supply to a ship at berth (also known as Cold Ironing - CI) is an important issue to obtain the reduction of ship emissions and to make ports more environmental-friendly. Due to European Commission recommendations the principal European ports are planning to install this technology, especially for harbour areas with high pollution levels. In this context, the municipality of Taranto (Italy) is focusing its attention on new actions aimed at the environmental requalification of port area based on Cold Ironing. In this paper, the authors gather and analyze the data associated with the berthing operations and resulting emissions to better define suitable actions for emissions reduction and to suggest some possible strategies for bringing down pollutants, in order to reach a wealth based on environmental preservation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.