Air quality benefits of low-sulphur marine fuel

Air quality monitoring in Denmark and southern Sweden shows that atmospheric levels of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) have fallen by roughly half since tougher emission standards for ships were introduced as from 1 January 2015 in sulphur emission control areas (SECAs).
Data from three Danish and two Swedish monitoring stations show a clear fall in SO₂ levels in the first half of 2015 as compared to the average levels in the same months of previous years.

Sources: Report by the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy (5 October 2015) and press release from the Swedish Environmental Research Institute IVL (5 November 2015).

 

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