SCIPPER · Project

Smart Sensors and Satellites That Catch Ships Breaking Air Pollution Rules

transportTestedTRL 5

Imagine ships as floating factories — they burn heavy fuel and pump out sulfur, soot, and toxic gases, often right next to cities with busy ports. New rules say they must clean up, but how do you check thousands of ships? SCIPPER built a toolkit of sensors, sniffers, drones, and even satellite tracking that can spot a dirty ship from the shore, the air, or space. They tested all of this in real ports like Gothenburg, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Marseille across 5 field campaigns.

By the numbers

Field measurement campaigns conducted in real ports and shipping lanes

Consortium partners across the project

Countries represented in the consortium

Total deliverables produced

Demo-level deliverables (sensor, data pipeline, sniffer prototype)

Port and sea regions tested (North Sea, Baltic Sea, English Channel, Mediterranean)

The business problem

What needed solving

Ships are among the largest sources of air pollution near coastlines and port cities, producing sulfur, nitrogen oxides, soot, and particulate matter. New international regulations (IMO sulfur cap, upcoming NOx limits) demand compliance, but enforcement agencies lack cost-effective tools to monitor thousands of ships without physically boarding each one. Port authorities and regulators need remote, automated ways to catch non-compliant vessels before pollution reaches nearby communities.

The solution

What was built

SCIPPER delivered 3 key demonstrators: a miniaturized low-cost photoacoustic black-carbon sensor, a ship-to-shore-to-web compliance data pipeline, and a revised ultra-sensitive sniffer remote monitor integrating SO2, NOx, and PM detection. All were field-tested across 5 campaigns in major European ports and shipping lanes, producing 29 total deliverables including emission models and air quality simulation tools.

Audience

Who needs this

Port authorities enforcing maritime emission regulationsMaritime environmental monitoring agenciesSensor and instrumentation companies seeking maritime product linesShipping companies needing to demonstrate regulatory complianceAir quality consultancies working on port-city pollution assessments

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Port Authorities & Maritime Enforcement

enterprise

Target: Port authorities and maritime regulatory agencies responsible for emissions compliance

If you are a port authority struggling to check whether incoming ships actually comply with sulfur and NOx emission limits — this project developed shore-based sniffers, airborne sensors, and a ship-to-shore data pipeline that can flag non-compliant vessels automatically. They tested these across 5 field campaigns in major European ports including Gothenburg, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Marseille.

Environmental Monitoring & Sensor Manufacturing

SME

Target: Companies developing or selling air quality and emissions monitoring equipment

If you are a sensor manufacturer looking for the next product line in maritime emissions — SCIPPER built a miniaturized photoacoustic black-carbon sensor using low-cost light sources, plus an ultra-sensitive SO2 sniffer. These were field-tested in real port environments and shipping lanes across the North Sea, Baltic Sea, English Channel, and Mediterranean.

Shipping & Logistics

any

Target: Shipping companies and fleet operators needing to prove regulatory compliance

If you are a shipping company facing tightening IMO sulfur cap and upcoming NOx regulations — this project created a compliance data pipeline that transmits sensor signals from ship to shore to a secure web platform. Instead of waiting for port inspections, you can demonstrate compliance proactively, reducing delays and potential fines.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy these monitoring systems at our port?

The project data does not include specific per-unit pricing. However, the miniaturized black-carbon sensor is explicitly described as 'low-cost' using low-cost light sources, suggesting it was designed for affordable mass deployment. Contact the consortium for pricing details.

Can these sensors scale to monitor an entire port or shipping lane?

Yes — SCIPPER tested monitoring across 5 field campaigns covering multiple ports (Gothenburg, Hamburg or Rotterdam, Marseille) and shipping lanes (North Sea, Baltic Sea, English Channel, Mediterranean). The system combines on-board, shore-based, airborne, and satellite methods for layered coverage at scale.

Who owns the IP on these sensors and monitoring tools?

The consortium of 19 partners across 9 countries jointly developed the technology under EU RIA funding. IP is likely shared among consortium members. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated with the relevant partners — the 4 SMEs and 3 industry partners are the most likely commercialization routes.

Which pollutants can these systems actually detect?

The monitoring tools cover sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), black carbon (soot), and ultrafine particles. The revised sniffer prototype integrates SO2, NOx, and PM instrumentation into a single remote monitor.

How does this compare to current inspection methods?

Current compliance checks typically require boarding ships or relying on fuel documentation. SCIPPER's methods — remote sniffers, airborne sensors, and satellite observations — can monitor individual vessel emissions without physical boarding. Field campaigns were run in parallel with established official monitoring methodologies to validate accuracy.

Is this ready for deployment today?

The project delivered working prototypes tested in real-world conditions, including a miniaturized black-carbon sensor, a revised sniffer monitor, and a ship-to-shore compliance data pipeline. These are at demonstrator stage, proven in the field but likely needing engineering for full commercial products.

Does the system work with satellite data?

Yes — SCIPPER specifically tested the potential use of satellite observations for monitoring individual vessel NOx and SO2 emissions. This is one of the more experimental components but could enable enforcement agencies to monitor ships across entire ocean regions remotely.

Consortium

Who built it

The 19-partner consortium across 9 countries is heavily research-oriented, with 9 research organizations and 5 universities forming the scientific backbone. The 3 industry partners and 4 SMEs (16% industry ratio) represent the commercialization pathway — these are likely the sensor manufacturers and monitoring service providers who could bring the prototypes to market. The geographic spread covering Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK maps directly to major European shipping routes and ports. The inclusion of a Hong Kong partner enabled a mirror campaign in Asia, giving the technology global validation beyond European waters.

ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKISCoordinator · EL
IVL SVENSKA MILJOEINSTITUTET ABparticipant · SE
PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY LIMITEDparticipant · UK
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM MUENCHEN DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER GESUNDHEIT UND UMWELT GMBHparticipant · DE
HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYinternationalpartner · HK
MINISTERIE VAN INFRASTRUCTUUR EN WATERSTAATparticipant · NL
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM HEREON GMBHparticipant · DE
TAMPEREEN KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SRparticipant · FI
BUNDESAMT FUR SEESCHIFFFAHRT UND HYDROGRAPHIEparticipant · DE
ATMOSUD PROVENCE ALPES COTE D'AZURparticipant · FR
ILMATIETEEN LAITOSparticipant · FI
UNIVERSITE D'AIX MARSEILLEparticipant · FR
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSthirdparty · FR
CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOGSKOLA ABparticipant · SE

How to reach the team

The coordinator is Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right consortium partner for your specific need.

Order a report on this consortium See ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the teams behind these ship emissions monitoring tools? SciTransfer can identify the right consortium partner — whether you need the sensor technology, the data pipeline, or the air quality modeling expertise. Get in touch for a tailored introduction.

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