• The Mediterranean represents 0.8% of the surface of the seas and oceans and concentrates 25% of the world volume of maritime transport.

  • To date, only international regulations in terms of pollutant emissions apply.

  • However, a wind of change seems to be blowing.

Ah, the good sea air!

Not so sure.

In Marseille, as in many port cities in the Mediterranean, one breathes heavily polluted air there, where "more than 900,000 people still live in an area exceeding the guidelines World Health Organization (WHO)", notes Atmosud in its report annual.

The sources of this pollution are varied with three main poles: industry, road transport and maritime traffic.

And if, overall, the situation has improved somewhat over the past thirty years in Marseille with better control of pollutants from road transport, the year 2019 was marked as the year in which nitrogen dioxide emissions of maritime origin have exceeded that of cars and trucks.

That same year, France announced its desire to see a Controlled Emissions Zone be created in the Mediterranean, with the aim of coming into force at the start of 2022. Such zones, which already exist in the North Sea, the Baltic and North America, ships to limit their discharges of sulfur and nitrogen dioxide.

For the time being, this project has been postponed (we are now talking about 2025) and last February, a call for "its adoption as soon as possible" from the mayors of 24 port cities around the Mediterranean, meeting on the initiative by Benoît Payan, was published.

Because in many respects, the Mediterranean, which represents 0.8% of the surface of the seas and oceans and concentrates 25% of the world volume of maritime transport, can no longer afford the luxury of waiting.

It is still necessary that the industrial tools, the ports and the ships are ready.

Delay and inertia, but an "engaged dynamic"

Among the actions undertaken, the electrification of the quays, and the obligation for the ferries to connect to them when their stopover exceeds two hours.

Until now, the two quays of the companies which carry out the Corsica-Marseille rotations are electrified in Marseille, and four others are in the process of being connected.

Toulon has also launched the works, and three of its platforms will be connected by the first quarter of 2023. “We have a favorable overall development”, wants to be positive Dominique Robin, president of Atmosud.

“The momentum is now underway, albeit with a lot of delay, especially if we look at what has been done in road transport.

Gasoline catalysts on cars [which allow certain particles to be filtered] were made compulsory in 1997,” he recalls.

In the maritime world, a first step was taken in 2020, with the entry into force of the Marpol agreement, limiting the sulfur content of fuels to 0.5% against 3.5% previously.

“We thought that shipowners would then opt for less sulfur and more expensive fuels.

But they rather went towards the installation of filters”, notes Dominique Robin.

To help them in this gradual upgrading, the Paca region has deployed 1.3 billion euros in its “A COP in advance” plan.

"This in order to allow, among other things, the electrification of the quays and the equipment necessary for ships to connect to them", explained the regional councilor Mohamed Mahali this Thursday during the 3rd Mediterranean Air Day.

This budget should also allow ships to equip themselves with particulate filters.

LNG cargo orders

Gilles Marcel, president of France Nature Environnement PACA (FNE) is also happy to finally see “a shared awareness.

In 2015, when we warned about the danger of pollution, there weren't many people to listen to us.

And in 2017, at the first edition of the Mediterranean Air Day, we were not seen with a good eye.

Today, we have a more attentive ear for all parties, local authorities as well as shipowners”, he rejoices.

Other perspectives for limiting fine particles are also noticeable.

In ocean freight, LNG propulsion accounts for 3.5% of the fleet, but 27% of ship orders by tonnage, a recent report by freight services company Clarcksons said.

A number of shipowners,

If a wind of change on the maritime world seems to be blowing, its effects will take time to really be felt.

Like that of a container ship, the inertia of this industry is long.

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  • Planet

  • Mediterranean

  • Air pollution

  • Maritime transport

  • ferry

  • Pollution

  • Marseilles

  • Paca

  • Toulon