Helcom : Nitrogen emissions to the air in the Baltic Sea area

Nitrogen emissions to the air in the Baltic Sea area

Author: Jerzy Bartnicki, EMEP MSC-W

Key message

Annual emissions of nitrogen oxides and annual emissions of ammonia from most of the HELCOM Contracting Parties were lower in 2010 than in 1995.

Annual nitrogen oxides emissions from the international ship traffic on the Baltic Sea are 1.8% higher in 2010 than in 2009.

Results and Assessment

Relevance of the indicator for describing the developments in the environment

This indicator shows the levels and trends of annual nitrogen oxides and ammonia emissions from anthropogenic sources in HELCOM Contracting Parties into the air. The emissions of nitrogen oxides and ammonia represent the pressure of emission sources on the atmosphere of the Baltic Sea basin and catchment.

Policy relevance and policy reference

The HELCOM Ministerial Declaration of 1988 called for a 50 % reduction in discharges of nutrients to air and water by 1995 with 1987 as a base year. The 1992 Helsinki Convention and the 1998 Ministerial Declaration reaffirmed the need to further reduce discharges; leading to the adoption of several relevant Recommendations concerning measures to reduce emissions from point sources and diffuse sources. In 1990 HELCOM adopted its first Recommendation on Monitoring of Airborne Pollution Load (HELCOM Recommendation 11/1), which was later superseded by the Recommendations 14/1 and 24/1.

On the European level the relevant policy to the control of emissions of nitrogen oxides aned ammonia to the atmosphere is being taken in the framework of UN ECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) and in the EU NEC Directive. The Executive Body of CLRTAP adopted the Protocol to Abate Acidificationon, Eutrophication and Ground Level Ozone in Gothenburg (Sweden) on 30 November 1999. The Protocol sets 2010 emission ceilings for four pollutants: sulphur, NO_x, VOCs and ammonia. According to the Gothenburg Protocol, European NO_x and ammonia emissions should be reduced by at least 41% and 17%, respectively, compared to their levels in 1990. This Protocol entered into force in on 17 May 2005. The national emission ceilings set by EU NEC Directive in 2001 for SO₂, NO_x, VOC and ammonia emissions are designed with the aim of meeting the interim environmental objectives.

Assessment

Time series of nitrogen oxides, ammonia and total nitrogen annual emissions in the period 1995 – 2010 are shown, for all HELCOM Contracting Parties, in Figure 1. Time series of nitrogen oxides, ammonia and total nitrogen annual emissions for the same period, in percent of 1995 emissions, are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1. Map of annual atmospheric emissions of nitrogen oxides, ammonia and total nitrogen from individual HELCOM Contracting Parties in the period 1995 – 2010. Units: ktonnes N/yr. Note: Different scales have been used for the various countries. The data cover emissions from all countries, except for Russia, where only emissions from the area covered by EMEP are included. This area was significantly extended for 2007 resulting in large increase of nitrogen emissions from Russia. Click image to enlarge.

Figure 2. Map of annual atmospheric emissions of nitrogen oxides, ammonia and total nitrogen from individual HELCOM Contracting Parties in the period 1995 – 2010, in percent of 1995 emissions. Note: The data cover emissions from all countries, except for Russia, where only emissions from the area covered by EMEP are included. This area was significantly extended for 2007 resulting in large increase of nitrogen emissions from Russia. Click image to enlarge.

For most of the countries, a decline in nitrogen emissions can be seen in the period 1995 – 2010. The increase can be noticed for ammonia emissions from Latvia and Finland and significant increase of nitrogen oxides and ammonia emissions from Russia. A reduction for the emissions from the Baltic Sea region in the years 1995 – 2010 is more significant for nitrogen oxides emissions than for ammonia emissions. However, it should be taken into account that nitrogen oxides emissions from the international ship traffic on the Baltic Sea showed an increasing trend in the considered period and they will also tend to increase after 2010.

In all HELCOM Contracting Parties, except Lithuania and Russia, nitrogen oxides emissions are 10-49% lower in 2010 than in 1995 with the most significant drop of nitrogen oxides emissions in Denmark (49%) and Sweden (40%). The reduction, in the considered period, can be also noticed in Germany (38%), Finland (35%), Poland (23%), Latvia (17%), Lithuania (10%) and Estonia (4%). A significant increse (23%) of 2010 nitrogen oxides emissions compared to 1995, can be observed in the EMEP part of the Russian Federation. However, it should be stressed that 2010 nitrogen oxides emissions in Russia are significantly lower (31%) in 2010 than in 2009.

Ammonia, emissions in six out of nine HELCOM Contracting Parties are lower in 2010 than in 1995, with the largest reduction in Denmark (34%), followed by Poland (28%), Sweden (19%), Estonia (16%), Germany (15%) and Lithuania (12%). Compared to 1995, ammonia emissions in Latvia and Finland are respectively 15% and 7% higher in 2010. Also ammonia emissions in Russia are significantly (34%) higher in 2010 than in 1995.

For all HELCOM Contracting Parties, except Russia (28% increase), the reductions of total nitrogen emissions can be observed in the period 1995 – 2010, ranging from 41% in Denmark to 2% in Latvia.

A significant increase of both, nitogen oxides and ammonia emissions in the Russian Federation can be observed from the year 2006. This increase is mainly due to the extension of official EMEP domain in the year 2007 and taking into account more nitrogen emissions sources from the additional part of Russia.

Emissions from outside the Baltic Sea region add to the nitrogen loads entering the Baltic, as do emissions from the ships. In 2010, 11% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from international shipping traffic on the Baltic Sea were deposited to the Baltic Sea basin. Annual nitrogen oxides emissions from the international ship traffic on the Baltic Sea increased 1.8% from 2009 to 2010 and 25% from 1995 to 2010.

Data

Table 1. National total emissions of nitrogen oxides from individual HELCOM Contracting Parties in the period 1995 – 2010. Units: kt N/yr.

Country	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Denmark	76.9	88.3	74.3	67.3	62.5	60.5	60.6	59.8	62.4	57.5	55.1	55.5	51.2	45.8	40.0	39.2
Estonia	11.7	12.6	12.2	11.8	10.5	11.5	12.2	12.5	12.7	11.9	11.1	10.8	11.8	10.9	9.2	11.2
Finland	78.5	81.6	78.8	76.4	75.2	61.3	64.3	61.2	65.3	59.3	51.6	57.1	56.8	51.1	47.1	50.8
Germany	648.6	624.0	601.3	590.3	583.0	585.8	562.3	538.1	521.4	502.2	480.3	475.9	453.9	431.4	402.0	402.6
Latvia	12.4	13.0	12.4	11.8	11.1	11.0	11.9	11.8	11.9	11.8	11.3	11.4	11.7	10.4	9.7	10.3
Lithuania	19.7	19.5	19.3	19.9	17.5	14.5	13.5	15.6	16.0	16.6	17.5	18.7	21.1	16.7	16.3	17.6
Poland	341.2	351.5	339.0	301.6	290.0	255.0	245.1	242.3	246.0	244.8	263.5	280.3	261.8	253.1	250.2	263.8
Russia	848.3	818.0	800.7	839.8	849.9	781.8	852.4	851.5	941.1	938.8	933.5	1107.6	1127.7	1321.8	1296.0	1039.9
Sweden	82.3	79.3	76.0	73.6	70.0	62.3	59.7	58.1	56.8	54.4	53.0	52.8	51.0	48.1	46.6	49.1
Total	2119.6	2087.8	2014.1	1992.6	1969.8	1843.8	1882.1	1850.9	1933.6	1897.2	1876.9	2070.0	2046.9	2189.3	2117.1	1884.5

Table 2. National total emissions of ammonia from individual HELCOM Contracting Parties in the period 1995 – 2010. Units: ktonnes N/yr.

Country	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Denmark	93.7	90.5	90.3	91.4	87.2	75.0	73.5	72.3	71.6	71.0	68.1	65.3	65.7	64.2	61.9	61.4
Estonia	10.0	9.1	9.2	9.2	7.9	7.8	7.9	7.3	8.1	8.3	8.1	8.2	8.5	9.0	8.2	8.4
Finland	28.7	29.9	31.0	29.2	27.3	30.3	29.6	30.5	31.0	31.1	31.9	31.4	31.4	31.3	30.6	30.6
Germany	528.8	531.4	524.2	530.0	534.9	495.6	501.0	490.5	486.2	479.3	472.0	468.4	467.2	467.9	474.1	451.1
Latvia	12.4	11.8	11.6	10.8	9.8	10.7	12.1	11.9	12.5	12.3	12.8	12.9	13.5	13.3	13.6	14.3
Lithuania	28.1	29.7	31.4	32.7	34.2	20.8	36.8	42.2	28.0	27.5	32.5	28.8	29.9	23.9	23.3	24.7
Poland	311.3	298.9	287.4	303.9	280.0	265.2	270.5	267.7	265.6	260.6	222.0	236.5	238.3	234.8	225.1	223.2
Russia	747.6	680.7	663.7	614.7	598.8	581.7	569.9	536.9	537.1	543.9	481.0	522.5	749.7	742.7	925.3	998.8
Sweden	52.5	50.5	50.8	50.2	48.4	48.3	46.2	45.3	45.9	46.0	45.4	44.9	43.4	42.9	41.2	42.6
Total	1813.1	1732.4	1699.5	1672.0	1628.6	1535.4	1547.5	1504.7	1485.9	1480.1	1373.9	1419.0	1647.6	1630.0	1803.4	1855.1

Table 3. National total emissions of total nitrogen from individual HELCOM Contracting Parties in the period 1995 – 2010. Units: ktonnes N/yr.

Country	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Denmark	170.6	178.8	164.6	158.7	149.8	135.5	134.1	132.1	134.0	128.5	123.2	120.8	116.9	110.0	101.9	100.6
Estonia	21.7	21.7	21.4	21.0	18.4	19.3	20.1	19.8	20.8	20.2	19.2	19.0	20.2	19.9	17.4	19.6
Finland	107.2	111.4	109.8	105.6	102.5	91.6	93.9	91.7	96.4	90.4	83.5	88.5	88.2	82.4	77.7	81.4
Germany	1177.4	1155.4	1125.4	1120.3	1118.0	1081.5	1063.4	1028.6	1007.5	981.4	952.3	944.3	921.0	899.3	876.1	853.7
Latvia	24.9	24.8	24.0	22.6	21.0	21.7	24.1	23.7	24.4	24.1	24.2	24.3	25.2	23.7	23.3	24.5
Lithuania	47.7	49.2	50.7	52.6	51.6	35.2	50.3	57.8	44.0	44.2	50.0	47.5	51.0	40.6	39.6	42.3
Poland	652.5	650.5	626.5	605.5	570.0	520.2	515.6	509.9	511.6	505.4	485.5	516.8	500.1	487.9	475.3	487.0
Russia	1595.8	1498.7	1464.3	1454.5	1448.7	1363.5	1422.4	1388.4	1478.2	1482.7	1414.5	1630.1	1877.5	2064.5	2221.3	2038.7
Sweden	134.8	129.8	126.9	123.8	118.5	110.7	105.9	103.4	102.7	100.4	98.4	97.6	94.4	90.9	87.8	91.7
Total	3932.7	3820.2	3713.6	3664.6	3598.4	3379.2	3429.7	3355.6	3419.5	3377.3	3250.8	3488.9	3694.5	3819.2	3920.5	3739.7

Meta data

Technical information

1. Source: EMEP/MSC-W, UMWELTBUNDESAMT – Austria, UN ECE Secretariat.

2. Description of data: Annual total emissions of nitrogen oxides and ammonia were officially reported to the UN ECE Secretariat by the HELCOM Contracting Parties.

3. Geographical coverage: European region.

4. Temporal coverage: Data on nitrogen oxides and ammonia emissions are available for the period 1995 - 2010.

5. Methodology and frequency of data collection: National data on emissions are annually submitted by countries Parties to CLRTAP Convention to the UN ECE Secretariat; the methodology is based on combination of emission measurements and emission estimates based on activity data and emission factors. Submitted data are passing through QA/QC procedure and stored in the the EMEP Centre for Emission inventories and Projections CEIP in Vienna, Austria.

Quality information

6. Strength and weakness: Strength: data on emissions are annually submitted, checked and stored in the database; Weakness: gaps in time series of national emissions which have to be corrected by experts.

7. Uncertainty. No official information about the uncertainty of provided nitrogen emission data have been sent to EMEP from both EMEP and HELCOM Contracting Parties.

8. Further work required: Further work on emission uncertainty is required.

For reference purposes, please cite this Baltic Sea Environment Fact Sheets as follows:

[Author’s name(s)], [Year]. [Baltic Sea Environment Fact Sheets title]. HELCOM Baltic Sea Environment Fact Sheet(s) 2012. Online. [Date Viewed], http://www.helcom.fi/environment2/ifs/en_GB/cover/.

Last updated: 27 January 2013