Air Quality Improvement Plan

Beyond the Port of Barcelona

The issue of air quality in the Port must be addressed from a broader perspective that goes beyond port activity alone. The port area is located within a metropolitan environment where pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and PM10 particles have exceeded the legal limits in recent years, making it necessary to take action to reduce emissions from its operations.

The regulatory framework

The Port of Barcelona’s Air Quality Improvement Plan is coordinated with two broader territorial plans:

• Air Quality Plan Horizon 2027, developed by the Government of Catalonia.
• Barcelona Air Quality Improvement Plan 2015–2018, developed by Barcelona City Council.

One of the mechanisms used to ensure coordinated implementation of these plans is the Catalonia Air Quality Summit.

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 NO_x 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 to promote it.