The drone emissions monitoring system of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) had just begun operations. On Thursday, it crashed into the sea near Fehmarn.

The drone flights are operated on behalf of EMSA by the Norwegian company Nordic Unmanned. The sensors for the emissions measurements are supplied by the Danish company Explicit. The crash reportedly occurred just 40 meters from the beach of the Bundeswehr radar station Staberhuk.

The North Sea and the Baltic Sea are among the most frequently and densely trafficked seas in the world. The Great Belt and the Kadet Canal are among the busiest shipping routes in the Baltic Sea. Forecasts for the Great Belt alone predict a transit of 80,000 ships by 2030. As shipping traffic in the Baltic Sea grows, so do emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide.

While internationally only marine fuels with a maximum sulfur content of 0.5 percent are permitted, in Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs) such as the North Sea and Baltic Sea, the limit is as low as 0.10 percent. "With the drones, we are using a technology that makes it possible to analyze ship emissions at sea and thus monitor whether the legally stipulated limits for the sulfur content in fuels are being adhered to," said BSH President Karin-Kammann-Klippstein during the measurement campaign. "Limits are only effective if their compliance is monitored."

The drone flights depart from the east coast of Fehmarn and target ships operating in the Fehmarn Belt and Kadetrinne twice a day, averaging 2.5 hours per flight. They fly through their exhaust plumes and measure the sulfur dioxide content using specific sensors. The measurement results are used to determine the sulfur content of the fuel used. An information system operated by EMSA makes the measurement results, along with data from the measured ship, available in real time to the inspection authorities in all European ports. If the data indicate that the permitted sulfur content of 0.10 percent in fuel is exceeded, ships can be targeted for inspection at their next ports of call, and fuel samples can be taken. Those responsible for violations of the strict fuel regulations face severe penalties.

The BSH is Germany's central maritime authority. Around 1,000 employees from over 100 professions work at its two offices in Hamburg and Rostock, as well as on five ships. Its responsibilities include the promotion, safety, and monitoring of maritime shipping; research and the collection of long-term data series in the fields of oceanography and marine chemistry; water level forecasting; and nautical hydrography, which is used to produce official nautical charts. A recently growing area of ​​responsibility is its role as the licensing and monitoring authority for offshore wind turbines. As the German flag state administration and service provider, the BSH supports the maritime industry with permits, liability certificates, product testing, approvals, and the provision of data.

www.bsh.de