Black Carbon

Black carbon - the sooty fraction of PM - is a major short-lived climate forcer, particularly damaging when deposited on Arctic ice and snow. The IMO is developing control measures for ships operating in or near the Arctic.

PollutantsShort-lived climate forcer

Engine typeFuel sulphur% m/mEngine powerkWAnnual hoursh

PM factor: 0.875g/kWh

BC fraction of PM: 0.35

~35 % of PM mass is black carbon

Annual black carbon: 14.71t

Changing the inputs requires JavaScript. The calculator above shows its default inputs and result. The formula, symbols, and regulatory sources are shown in the Formula section below.

Formula, assumptions, and limits

m_\text{BC} = m_\text{PM} \cdot f_\text{BC}

Symbol	Meaning	Unit
$m_\text{BC}$	Annual black-carbon mass	t
$m_\text{PM}$	Annual PM mass	t
$f_\text{BC}$	BC fraction of PM by engine type

Source: IMO PPR Sub-Committee; IPCC AR6

In short

Estimate black-carbon emissions from marine engines - BC fraction of PM by engine type, and annual mass.

Learn the theory AR5 GWP100 in maritime emissions accounting