The Danish Maritime Authority has begun operating a rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to check emissions from ships in Danish waters to make sure they comply with the local sulphur limit.
The drone is provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and is fitted with a so-called "sniffer" capable of measuring sulphur emissions. Entering a ship's exhaust gas plume, the drone can register the amount of sulphur in the fuel.
The data gathered by the drone will immediately be made available to Danish authorities, who can follow up if a ship does not comply with the requirements.
The drone is being regularly deployed in an area north of the Great Belt, where many large tankers pass when going to and from the Baltic Sea.