PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Vapour residues from tankers that carry non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) are often released to the atmosphere when cargo tanks are vented before the next loading. These emissions contribute to the formation of ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5), with knock-on effects on public health, crops and forests. A controlled alternative (“degassing” via shore-based reception facilities and vapour recovery) exists in inland navigation, but practices and obligations are uneven across the EU and largely absent for maritime transport. The result is inconsistent protection of workers and nearby communities, regulatory gaps between basins, and uncertainty for ship owners and ports. A problem that is EU-wide and cross-border by nature.
In addition, data on the magnitude NMVOC emissions from ships are scarce, making it difficult for Member States to reflect the issue properly in National Air Pollution Control Programmes and to align with EU air-quality law (e.g., Directive (EU) 2016/2284). At the same time, international fora (IMO, UNECE) are the natural venues to level the playing field and consider regional “NMVOC Emission Control Areas” (ECA). A credible solution therefore requires (i) quantified evidence of emissions and impacts, (ii) a review of available technical and governance options, and (iii) coordinated EU-level instruments backed by international engagement.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE4DEGAS aims at assessing the current status of NMVOC transport and degassing across inland waterways and maritime routes, identifying needs, bottlenecks and options, and preparing harmonised pathways, including funding recommendations, to limit or ban uncontrolled degassing. The work builds on port authority experience (e.g., Livorno) and introduces structured cooperation among authorities, industry and NGOs to translate evidence into implementable measures.
Overall objective: assess the status of NMVOC transport and degassing in EU inland waterway and maritime sectors and define pathways and measures to further limit or ban uncontrolled degassing.
Specific objectives:
- Map and quantify degassing practices and their health/environmental implications through inventories of EU/international law and guidance, and through targeted measurements and analyses.
- Develop options and scenarios for implementation (technical, legal and governance measures) with quantified costs and benefits for decision-makers.
- Examine international avenues (IMO, UNECE) to address degassing by non-EU vessels operating in EU waters, including the feasibility of regional NMVOC Emission Control Areas.
- Recommend how to deploy EU financial instruments to support infrastructure, R&I and implementation, tailored to stakeholder profiles.
- Compile the EU-level inventory of needs, options, barriers and viable alternatives to degassing across inland and maritime contexts.
- Establish an EU cooperation structure (Advisory Board and Stakeholder Group) to sustain governance, exchange best practice and guide implementation beyond the project.
RESULTS
Being a preparatory project (PLP), results are decision-ready evidence, options and governance tools rather than on-the-ground abatement. Key results include six main deliverables:
- State of play report (of transport of NMVOCs in maritime and inland water shipping and the problem of degassing). It describes the baseline of current practices and volumes across inland and maritime sectors in EU, the legal/standards landscape, stakeholder mapping, data gaps and initial hotspots (by routes, ports and cargo types).
- Needs, barriers and solutions. A report on the needs and barriers for reducing degassing of NMVOCs in the EU, and solutions on how best to address these. It provides a clear diagnosis of technical, economic, organisational and enforcement barriers, priority needs by stakeholder group, and a shortlist of practicable solutions with readiness level, enabling conditions and a high-level roadmap.
- LIFE4DEGAS Cooperation Structure T.o.R. An EU long-term co-operation for governance design (terms of reference, membership, roles), operating procedures (meeting cadence, workstreams, data-sharing) and a sustainability plan (hosting/secretariat and resource options).
- Possible harmonised approach. A proposal that should provide implementation scenarios and policy/technical options (incl. monitoring and enforcement), with quantified costs and benefits (air-quality/health), timelines, distributional impacts and an indicative implementation pathway.
- Recommendations on EU funding instruments. To provide recommendations on EU funding instruments as well as mapping of relevant EU instruments to use-cases (e.g., port reception infrastructure, R&I, capacity-building), with eligibility tips, co-financing ranges, sequencing/packaging guidance and example project archetypes.
- Recommendations on actions for degassing. To design an action pathway for engagement at IMO/UNECE (incl. feasibility of an NMVOC ECA), and compliance approaches, alignment with existing ECA regimes, and partnership steps with non-EU states.
Operationally, at least six air-measurement campaigns reinforce the emissions/impact modelling ensuring results rest on real-world data rather than literature alone.