Assessing greenhouse gas emissions from port vessel operations at the Port of Incheon

• Greenhouse gas emissions are estimated based on the types and movements of vessels from arrival to departure.
• It uses a bottom-up approach based on individual vessels’ characteristics to estimate emissions.
• The level of emissions is five times higher than estimated using a top-down approach.
• International car ferries are the largest emitters, followed by full container vessels and car carriers.
• A vessel’s passage through lock gates and maneuver to approach the dock accounts for 96% of its emissions.

This paper measures greenhouse gas emissions from port vessel operations by considering the case of Korea’s Port of Incheon. It provides estimates of greenhouse gas emissions based on the type and the movement of a vessel from the moment of its arrival, to its docking, cargo handling, and departure. Taking a bottom-up approach based on individual vessels’ characteristics and using data on vessels processed by the port in 2012 estimate emissions. The results indicate that the level of emissions is five times higher than that estimated through the top-down approach. Among various types of vessels, international car ferries are the heaviest emitters, followed by full container vessels and car carriers. A vessel’s passage through lock gates and maneuver to approach the dock accounts for 96% of its emissions. Docking for cargo handling shows the lowest level of GHG emissions.