Capturing Effects of COVID-19 on Global Cruise Vessel Density and Emissions

Chen, Qiong; Ge, Ying-En; Lau, Yui-yip; Dulebenets, Maxim  A.; Ng, Adolf  K.Y.; Wang, Zhaojun

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4211079

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Capturing Effects of COVID-19 on Global Cruise Vessel Density and Emissions

29 Pages Posted: 12 Sep 2022

See all articles by Qiong Chen

Adolf K.Y. Ng

Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College

Zhaojun Wang

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Abstract

This paper employs a series of data (i.e., AIS data, ship static data, port data, emission control area data, and COVID-19 data) to work with the ship traffic density model and the emission model to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global cruise shipping. Numerical experiments are conducted to analyse global cruise ship density and emissions before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and show that the epidemic has brought a substantial impact on cruise ship activities. The emissions of SOx, CO 2 , and BC after the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 dropped significantly by 97.17%, 61.75%, and 73.91%, respectively. The outcomes from this investigation enrich our understanding of the COVID-19 effects on global cruise vessel activities and the marine environment. Furthermore, a series of valuable insights are obtained from this investigation for industrial practitioners, policy makers, and academia in the field of maritime transportation.

Keywords: Automatic Identification System, COVID-19 pandemic, Cruise industry, Vessel density, Vessel emissions, Global Sulphur policy

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Chen, Qiong and Ge, Ying-En and Lau, Yui-yip and Dulebenets, Maxim A. and Ng, Adolf K.Y. and Wang, Zhaojun, Capturing Effects of COVID-19 on Global Cruise Vessel Density and Emissions. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4211079 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4211079