Government surveillance drones track vessels in the Baltic Sea, as managed by the Federal Office.
In a significant stride towards environmental protection, drone-based monitoring of ship emissions is gaining traction in the Baltic Sea and other international waters. The latest development sees the deployment of an autonomous drone, equipped with an infrared camera and high-precision sensors, from the Marine Coast Station Marienleuchte on Fehmarn.
The drone, a Camcopter S-100, takes off and flies behind the stern of ships into the exhaust plume, allowing for the determination of whether a ship is using clean fuel or an exhaust gas scrubber. This innovative approach is part of a collaboration between the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
The drone flights, requested by BSH from EMSA, are carried out by the Austrian company Schiebel on behalf of EMSA. So far, 90 ships have been inspected, and in one case, there was a suspicion of exceeding the sulfur limit. Violations of the sulfur limit can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros or "criminal consequences."
The use of drones for maritime environmental monitoring is a growing trend. Autonomous surface vessels (USVs) such as those developed by Saildrone offer durable, cost-effective, and low-emission platforms for maritime monitoring missions. These USVs use sensors and communication technologies to gather real-time oceanographic and maritime data without crew risk or significant carbon footprints.
While direct sulfur measurement by drones is still emerging, research and deployment trends point towards a growing role for autonomous platforms and advanced sensor suites in environmental maritime monitoring soon. The drone deployments in the Baltic Sea are a step towards integrating these technologies with regulatory enforcement systems.
International maritime regulations such as the MARPOL Convention of the International Maritime Organization set emission limits. Since 2014, sulfur emissions have been reduced by 70%, according to the BSH, referring to the European Environment Report on Maritime Shipping. The introduction of sulfur emission control areas in the Baltic and North Seas was particularly decisive for this reduction.
However, the regulatory framework for drone operations is rapidly evolving. Regulatory bodies are emphasizing safety standards, automated airspace traffic management, and performance-based rules to support commercial and governmental UAV missions. These frameworks could enable expanded use of drones for monitoring ship emissions internationally.
Dr. Andreas Weigelt, head of the ship exhaust gas measurement network at the BSH, emphasizes the need to develop future monitoring strategies and techniques for currently unregulated air pollutants, such as ultra-fine dust emissions and alternative fuels like LNG or ammonia. The two monitoring flights per day, each lasting about four hours, planned for the drone are a step in this direction.
As the Baltic Sea and other international waters continue to see increasing deployment of autonomous surface and aerial systems for maritime environmental monitoring, the role of drones in enforcing emission limits and promoting cleaner shipping practices is set to grow. The Mediterranean was included in these zones on May 1, 2025, and the North-East Atlantic will follow in 2027, marking a significant expansion of the drone monitoring efforts.
- The incorporation of drone technology in environmental science, particularly in monitoring ship emissions and enforcing emission limits, is becoming increasingly important in the field of climate-change research.
- The use of autonomous drones equipped with sensory technology, such as the Camcopter S-100, in marine environmental-science missions, like the inspection of ship emissions in the Baltic Sea, is accelerating the shift towards cleaner shipping practices and more effective regulations.
