Researchers have modeled that pollutant emissions from the shipping sector increased significantly in major international seaports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings serve as a stark contrast against findings^[1] from the NASA Earth Observatory that the freeze in industrial processes and human activity arising from the pandemic resulted in generally lower air pollution.

In Singapore, the NTU research team found that emissions were modelled to have more than doubled (123 per cent), during the pandemic period, while they increased twofold in Los Angeles (100 per cent), almost two-thirds (65 per cent) in Long Beach, California, and over a quarter (27 per cent) in Hamburg, Germany.

Container ships and dry bulk carriers marked the sharpest increase of all total emissions, seeing an average increment of 94 per cent and 142 per cent respectively, compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NTU research builds upon previous studies that signalled that COVID-19 had a substantial impact on the shipping industry. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development^[2] found that COVID-19-related constraints on ships and crew in many ports led to workforce shortages and operational challenges and affected productivity, while global shipping intelligence provider S&P Global Platts^[3] remarked that the unprecedented and volatile surge in cargo demand following the first wave of the COVID-19 caused further delays at almost every seaport worldwide.

The NTU study modelled that ship emissions in all four ports increased by an average of 79 per cent because of the prolonged turnaround time in port, said the researchers, with extended ‘hotelling’ time^[4] at berth and anchorage areas as longer operational times were needed due to pandemic-related delays.

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Materials provided by Nanyang Technological University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.