Danish EPA to use aircraft to monitor ships for air pollution

Danish contractor Explicit will monitor sulfur emission from ships by sampling exhaust plumes from vessels in waters around Denmark.

   The Danish Environmental and Protection Agency has contracted Danish startup company Explicit to monitor sulfur emission from ships, with the monitoring to be conducted from the air, by sampling exhaust plumes from vessels in waters around Denmark.
   The operation, according to Explicit, will deploy a new “sniffer” technology that the company developed for easy-mount on helicopters and, eventually, on drones. The airborne surveillance of the sulfur restrictions in Danish waters is expected to commence later this month.
   Explicit says its new Mini Sniffer System is capable of measuring both sulfur and NOX emissions from vessels, and is small enough to be carried on a drone without compromising quality or reliability. However, the company has said that the technology is initially being deployed on a manned helicopter, with the prospect of phasing in drones as a supplement in the future.
   Explicit, which is based in Lyngby, Denmark, has also developed a set of advanced algorithms in order to calculate the sulfur content and NOX emissions to reliably determine compliance. The aircraft-mounted tech will be tasked with detecting and deterring violations of the 0.10 percent emissions control area (ECA) restriction on sulfur in bunker fuel, according to the Danish EPA.
   Additionally, Explicit said that it’s looking to branch out and bring its sniffer technology to international markets.