AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean)

Özkan Akar

doi:10.33714/masteb.1919465

AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean)

Abstract

Maritime transport is an important source of air pollution in port cities due to exhaust emissions generated during ship operations, particularly during cruising, manoeuvring, and hotelling phases. In this study, a ship emission inventory for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye) was developed using AIS-based ship activity data and an activity-based bottom-up emission calculation approach. Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and particulate matter (PM) were estimated for the period 2015–2019 based on ship types and operational phases. The results showed that total emissions during the study period reached 15,132 tons of NOX, 8,125 tons of SO2, 816,406 tons of CO2, 2,089 tons of CO, 741 tons of HC, and 1,194 tons of PM. Container vessels were identified as the dominant emission source, accounting for 55.6% of total emissions, followed by Ro-Ro passenger and general cargo vessels. The analysis of operational phases indicated that cruising and hotelling were the major contributors to total emissions, with hotelling emissions being particularly significant due to continuous auxiliary engine operation at berth. In addition to total emissions, emission intensity indicators per ship call, per ton of cargo handled, and per TEU were evaluated to assess the environmental performance of port operations. The results indicated that emission intensity increased between 2015 and 2017 and decreased in the following years, suggesting improved emission efficiency relative to cargo throughput. The findings provide important information for emission management, environmental planning, and sustainable port development in Türkiye and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Keywords

Thanks

The author would like to the Mersin Chamber of Commerce for data collecting and making them available. Also, the authors are grateful to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ece Kılıç for her suggestions and help on English of the text.

References

Akar, Ö., & Demirci, A. (2025). Assessing the effects of exhaust emissions on air quality in fishing vessels from the Iskenderun Bay, Türkiye. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 22(15), 14965-14974. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-025-06596-x
Akar, Ö., Çalışır, V., & Demirci, A. (2020). Determination of the amount and effects of ship fuel gas emissions in Iskenderun Bay. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin 29(07A), 6039-6045.
Ay, C. (2020). Investigation of emissions from commercial ships passing through the Istanbul Strait [MSc Thesis, Istanbul Technical University]
Aygül, Ö., & Baştuğ, S. (2020). Maritime transport-based air pollution and its effect on human health. Journal of Maritime Transport and Logistics, 1(1), 26-40.
Balcombe, P., Brierley, J., Lewis, C., Skatvedt, L., Speirs, J., Hawkes, A., & Staffell, I. (2019). How to decarbonise international shipping: Options for fuels, technologies and policies. Energy Conversion and Management, 182, 72-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2018.12.080
Bouman, E. A., Lindstad, E., Rialland, A. I., & Strømman, A. H. (2017). State-of-the-art technologies, measures, and potential for reducing GHG emissions from shipping–A review. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 52(Part A), 408-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2017.03.022
Brewer, T. (2020). A maritime emission control area for the Mediterranean Sea? Technological solutions and policy options for a ‘Med ECA’. Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 5(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-020-00155-1
Cai, O., Peng, C., & Yu, X. (2021). The development of port emissions inventory from decision-making perspective: Case of the port of Los Angeles. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 675(1), 012022. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/675/1/012022

Canton, H. (2021). International maritime organization—IMO. In Europa Publications (Ed.), The Europa Directory of International Organizations 2021 (23rd ed.) (pp. 338-342). Routledge.
Chatzinikolaou, S. D., Oikonomou, S. D., & Ventikos, N. P. (2015). Health externalities of ship air pollution at port – Piraeus port case study. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 40, 155-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2015.08.010
Corbett, J. J., & Koehler, H. W. (2003). Updated emissions from ocean shipping. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 108(D20), 4650. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JD003751
Corbett, J. J., Winebrake, J. J., Green, E. H., Kasibhatla, P., Eyring, V., & Lauer, A. (2007). Mortality from ship emissions: a global assessment. Environmental Science & Technology, 41(24), 8512-8518. https://doi.org/10.1021/es071686z
Demirci, A., & Karagüzel, M. (2018). The evaluation of fishing vessels fuel consumption and pollution emissions in Iskenderun Bay. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 27(1), 508-514.
Deniz, C., & Kılıç, A. (2010). Inventory of shipping emissions in Izmit Gulf, Turkey. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 29(2), 221–232. https://doi.org/10.1002/ep.10365
EMEP/EEA. (2023). Air Pollutant Emission Inventory Guidebook. European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP)/European Environment Agency (EEA).
ENTEC UK. (2005). Ship emissions inventory report for European Commission. Environmental and Engineering Consultancy (ENTEC) United Kingdom.
ENTEC UK. (2007) New ship emissions inventory for the Mediterranean Sea. Environmental and Engineering Consultancy (ENTEC) United Kingdom.
Eyring, V., Isaksen, I. S. A., Berntsen, T., Collins, W. J., Corbett, J. J., Endresen, Ø., Grainger, R. G., Moldanova, J., Schlager, H., & Stevenson, D. S. (2010). Transport impacts on atmosphere and climate: Shipping. Atmospheric Environment, 44(37), 4735-4771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.04.059
Kılıç, A. (2009). Exhaust gas emissions from ships in Marmara Sea. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 11(2), 124–134.
Koçak, E., & Kişi, H. (2015). Port privatizations: Expectations and actualization for port of Mersin. Uluslararası İktisadi ve İdari İncelemeler Dergisi, 15, 279-296. https://doi.org/10.18092/ijeas.97554
Manisalidis, I., Stavropoulou, E., Stavropoulos, A., & Bezirtzoglou, E. (2020). Environmental and health impacts of air pollution: A review. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 505570. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00014
MarineTraffic. (2026). MarineTraffic: Global ship tracking intelligence. AIS Marine Traffic. [Online]. Retrieved on March 30, 2026, from https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:34.5/centery:36.8/zoom:9
Merk, O. (2014). Shipping emissions in ports. OECD International Transport Forum. Discussion Paper No. 2014-20. https://doi.org/10.1787/5jrw1ktc83r1-en
Mersin Valiliği, (2025). Mersin provincial environmental status 2024 report. Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, Mersin Valiliği, Çevre, Şehircilik ve İklim Değişikliği İl Müdürlüğü, ÇED ve Çevre İzinlerinden Sorumlu Şube Müdürlüğü. Retrieved on June 4, 2026, from https://webdosya.csb.gov.tr/v2/ced/2026/01/Mersin_2024icdr-20260130161508.pdf
Rodrigue, J. P., & Hesse, M. (2006). Global production networks and the role of logistics and transportation. Growth and Change, 37(4), 499-509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2257.2006.00337.x
Rodrigue, J. P. (2010). Maritime transportation: Drivers for the shipping and port industries. OECD International Transport Forum. Discussion Paper No. 2010-2.
Saraçoğlu, H., Deniz, C., & Kılıç, A. (2013). An investigation on the effects of ship sourced emissions in Izmir Port, Turkey. The Scientific World Journal, 2013(1), 218324. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/218324
Sofiev, M., Winebrake, J. J., Johansson, L., Carr, E. W., Prank, M., Soares, J., Vira, J., Kouznetsov, R., Jalkanen, J. -P., & Corbett, J. J. (2018). Cleaner fuels for ships provide public health benefits with climate tradeoffs. Nature Communications, 9(1), 406. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02774-9
Tichavska, M., & Tovar, B. (2015). Port-city exhaust emission model: An application to cruise and ferry operations in Las Palmas Port. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 78, 347-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2015.05.021
Tiken, E. D. (2022). Orta Doğu Limanları ve Mersin Limanı [MSc. Thesis. Marmara University].
Tokuşlu, A. (2020). Creating an inventory of ship emissions of the Port of Bartın and calculating the environmental cost of port emissions. Ulusal Çevre Bilimleri Araştırma Dergisi, 3(4), 208–218.
Tokuşlu, A., & Burak, S. (2021). Examination of exhaust gas emissions of transit ships in the Istanbul Strait. Academic Platform – Journal of Engineering and Science, 9(1), 59–66. https://doi.org/10.21541/apjes.705918
Toscano, D. (2023). The impact of shipping on air quality in the port cities of the Mediterranean area: A review. Atmosphere, 14(7), 1180. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071180
Trozzi, C. (2010). Emission estimate methodology for maritime navigation. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Trozzi, C., & Vaccaro, R. (2006, June). Methodologies for estimating air pollutant emissions from ships: A 2006 update. Proceedings of the Environment & Transport: 2th International Scientific Symposium (including 15th conference Transport and Air Pollution), France, 108(425), pp. 12-14.
UNCTAD. (2023). Review of maritime transport 2023: Towards a green and just transition. Stylus Publishing, LLC. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Viana, M., Hammingh, P., Colette, A., Querol, X., Degraeuwe, B., de Vlieger, I., & Van Aardenne, J. (2014). Impact of maritime transport emissions on coastal air quality in Europe. Atmospheric Environment, 90, 96-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.03.046
WHO (World Health Organization). (2021). WHO global air quality guidelines: Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. World Health Organization.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Maritime Business Administration, Marine Transportation, Maritime Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Özkan Akar ^*
0000-0002-8126-2883
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

June 19, 2026

Publication Date

June 25, 2026

Submission Date

March 30, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 15, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.1919465

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA32WL63SM

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Akar, Ö. (2026). AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean). Marine Science and Technology Bulletin, 15(2), 114-127. https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.1919465

AMA

1.Akar Ö. AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean). Mar. Sci. Tech. Bull. 2026;15(2):114-127. doi:10.33714/masteb.1919465

Chicago

Akar, Özkan. 2026. “AIS-Based Ship Emission Inventory and Emission Intensity Indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean)”. Marine Science and Technology Bulletin 15 (2): 114-27. https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.1919465.

EndNote

Akar Ö (June 1, 2026) AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean). Marine Science and Technology Bulletin 15 2 114–127.

IEEE

[1]Ö. Akar, “AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean)”, Mar. Sci. Tech. Bull., vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 114–127, June 2026, doi: 10.33714/masteb.1919465.

ISNAD

Akar, Özkan. “AIS-Based Ship Emission Inventory and Emission Intensity Indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean)”. Marine Science and Technology Bulletin 15/2 (June 1, 2026): 114-127. https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.1919465.

JAMA

1.Akar Ö. AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean). Mar. Sci. Tech. Bull. 2026;15:114–127.

MLA

Akar, Özkan. “AIS-Based Ship Emission Inventory and Emission Intensity Indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean)”. Marine Science and Technology Bulletin, vol. 15, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 114-27, doi:10.33714/masteb.1919465.

Vancouver

1.Özkan Akar. AIS-based ship emission inventory and emission intensity indicators for the Port of Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean). Mar. Sci. Tech. Bull. 2026 Jun. 1;15(2):114-27. doi:10.33714/masteb.1919465