'Green' ferry emits more CO2 than old diesel ship

[rangerrebew]

'Green' ferry emits more CO2 than old diesel ship
23 hours ago
 
Calum Watson
BBC News Scotland
 
Glen Sannox brings greater car capacity to the Arran route but a bigger carbon footprint
The carbon footprint of a long-delayed new "green" ferry will be far larger than the 31-year-old diesel ship that usually serves the route between the Scottish mainland and the island of Arran.

An emissions analysis by CalMac has calculated MV Glen Sannox will emit 10,391 equivalent tonnes of CO2 a year compared with 7,732 for MV Caledonian Isles.

The dual-fuel ferry has more car capacity but requires larger engines which also emit methane, a greenhouse gas with a far greater global warming effect than CO2.

Ferries procurement agency CMAL, which owns the ship, said the comparison was "inaccurate" as Glen Sannox is a larger vessel.


The size of Glen Sannox is a factor in its carbon footprint, but so too is the liquified natural gas (LNG) fuel which is less climate-friendly than previously claimed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy87e72yg3o

[Smokin Joe]

Greater capacity is only meaningful if it is fully utilized.

If so, the new vessel will emit 81.81 tonnes per year per vehicle transported, while the old one emits some 85.91 tonnes per vehicle per year at capacity.

But if the new vessel isn't full, and transports fewer vehicles than capacity, the carbon per vehicle per year will rely on some average number of vehicles, and be greater than the loaded to capacity figures for the old vessel

Of course, this does not take into account construction of the new vessel nor harbor modifications which will be required. The equation is never complete, and if they just wanted a new boat they should have just said so instead of wanking in all this nonsense about carbon footprints in the water.