Air Quality Improvement Plan
The need for adequate air quality within the port area responds to reasons of environmental protection and public health. The Port of Barcelona Quality Improvement Plan defines the areas of action and specific actions to guarantee an improvement in port weather conditions.
Beyond the Port of Barcelona
The issue of air quality in the port must be addressed from a broader perspective than the exclusively port one. The port is located in a metropolitan area in which pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and suspended particles with a diameter of less than 10 µm (PM10) have been exceeding the limits allowed by legislation for years.
The regulatory framework
This plan is part of 2 others with a higher territorial scope:
- Air Quality Improvement Plan for the Barcelona Metropolitan Region 2015-2020, drawn up by the Generalitat de Catalunya.
- Plan Improvement of Air Quality in Barcelona 2015-2018, prepared by Barcelona City Council.
Goal: zero emissions
The actions included in the Port of Barcelona Air Quality Improvement Plan have made it possible to reduce emissions every year since 2016. An example is Grimaldi's initiative with the ECO Barcelona ferry.
CaptionECO Barcelona. Working for a sustainable maritime transport.
The nine areas of action of the Plan
Transversal actions
Some of the Plan's actions involve more than one of these areas. This is the case of the promotion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative fuel for ships, terminal machinery and trucks. LNG reduces NOx emissions by 80% and completely eliminates the emissions of suspended solid particles and sulphur oxides, which is why the port participates in various R&D projects.
Plan for improving air quality in the Port of Barcelona (EN)
A plan in favour of the air we breathe
The environmental impact of cruise ships in Barcelona
The Port of Barcelona is making progress towards introducing cleaner fuels for ships
