Decarbonization Actions in the Cruise Sector. EUROMED Area

For many years, the major shipping lines and their large vessels have chosen to call at Spanish ports, either on their routes as a stopover or as base ports at the start/end of their routes. Barcelona is an important seaport in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest European and international ports. It is chosen mainly for its infrastructures and to start or complete maritime routes in the western and eastern Mediterranean. Moreover, shipping companies have been pioneers in modernizing their ships to be emission-neutral in ports, developing and implementing technologies to minimize the impact and emissions of polluting gases during their routes, where these ships spend a significant amount of their time, as well as using technologies or fuels that reduce emissions during the time the ships spend in port. This paper examines how the shipping industry and ports are complying with emissions regulations, from sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides to carbon dioxide and particulate matter. The paper studies the use of new fuels and existing technologies such as the production of methanol or green hydrogen in ports, or the use and implementation of Onshore Power Supply to fuel cruise ships largely.