Hong Kong authorities aim to fight air pollution coming from vessels with the help of flying drones that will monitor ship emissions. Newly designed sensors can detect pollutants from vessels up to 50 metres from source, with move set to be launched by end of 2019. The drones were designed by the University of Science and Technology and will be flown into smoke plumes spewed from ships to conduct real-time measurements mainly of sulphur dioxide emissions.
Mainly, from 1 January 2019, all vessels within Hong Kong waters are to use fuels compliant with sulphur regulations, not exceeding the 0.5%.
The drones come with brick-sized sensors attached to scan pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates. The device can detect such substances up to 50 metres away from a vessel’s funnel.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
Additionally, the Environmental Protection Department will run prototype trials over Hong Kong waters next month and, depending on results, aims to deploy them for use by the end of the year.
Yet, it is not known how many drones will be acquired and used.
Also, Brian Lau Man-pang, Principal environmental protection officer, reported that random inspection on at least 100 ocean going ships revealed to be compliant with the new regulations. Additionally, random inspections of 16 ocean-going ships this month found them to be all compliant with the new rules.
However, the plans are on the waiting to be approved from the Civil Aviation Department on the use of unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS.
The Civil Aviation Department has strict laws on the use of UAS and we are awaiting their approval.
As far as the sulphur regulation is concerned, non compliance will result to a maximum penalty of HK$200,000 (US$25,500) and a six-month prison sentence.
Finally, a total of 380 ocean-going vessels have been raided since 2015, with six prosecuted for non-compliance.
