Black carbon, maritime traffic and the Arctic

Abstract Maritime transportation covers approximately 90% of the global traffic volumes. The global fleet consists of approximately 100,000 diesel ships, around 250 LNG ships, and a smaller number of methanol or even electric ferries. When it comes to maritime transportation, the Arctic sea route is becoming more and more interesting for the shipping industry as it has been estimated that the Northeast Passage can shorten the travelling distance significantly compared to Suez Canal. Black Carbon (BC) is the second largest contributor to climate change emissions after carbon dioxide (CO₂). BC particles spread out from different sources and the majority of BC emissions are transmitted to the Polar Regions from other parts of the globe. The share of global BC emission from international shipping is estimated to be up to 3% of the global total. The Northern Sea Route can shorten the travelling distance, but it is important to find out, will the increase of maritime traffic effect the BC emissions in the Arctic. This paper considers how BC from ships’ fuel affects the Arctic. This paper also discusses alternative fuels and emission abatement technologies, which can decrease the emissions from ships and may also affect the BC emissions in the Arctic in the future