Preparatory research on decarbonising the Belgian maritime sector
20086
From 2020 to 2021
TML examined various measures to decarbonise the maritime shipping sector by 2050 and formulated policy recommendations, tested for legal feasibility. TML coordinated the identification of technical and operational measures and the promotion of their implementation.
The largest carbon emissions in Belgian waters come from dredgers, tugs, fishing vessels, tankers, and cargo ships. To reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050, a policy plan needs to be developed for this sector.
To decarbonise seagoing vessels, all kinds of technological measures are available: a different bow design, alternative fuels, and increased energy efficiency. In addition, the research team formulated some operational measures. To implement them, governments can rely on research and development subsidies, setting a carbon price and monitoring emissions.
We split our research into three work packages.
- First, we determined which ships are relevant to the study and their CO2 emissions. To do so, we used the EMMOSS model developed by TML.
- A second work package includes an inventory of existing initiatives and technical operational measures.
- The third work package looks at what opportunities exist to encourage the implementation of the aforementioned measures.
TML coordinated the second and third parts of this study. We brought together the technical input of Sintef with the legal expertise of Clive Van Aerde.
The report we wrote for the FPS Mobility can be downloaded from our website.
