nep-tre New Economics Papers
on Transport Economics
Issue of 2017‒07‒09
four papers chosen by
Erik Teodoor Verhoef
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

  1. Sulphur Abatement Globally in Maritime Shipping By Lindstad, Elizabeth; Rehn, Carl Fredrik; Eskeland, Gunnar S.
  2. Airports and economic performance in China By Stephen Gibbons; Wenjie Wu
  3. In brief...Road to recovery? Economic benefits of new infrastructure By Stephen Gibbons; Teemu Lyytikäinen; Henry Overman; Rosa Sanchis-Guarner
  4. Determinants of Urban Sprawl: A Panel Data Approach By Joseph DeSalvo; Qing Su

  1. By: Lindstad, Elizabeth (Sintef Ocean AS (MARINTEK)); Rehn, Carl Fredrik (Dept. of Marine Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology); Eskeland, Gunnar S. (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics)
    Abstract: In 2016, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided on global regulations to reduce sulphur emissions to air from maritime shipping starting 2020. The regulation implies that ships can continue to use residual fuels with a high sulphur content, such as heavy fuel oil (HFO), if they employ scrubbers to desulphurise the exhaust gases. Alternatively, they can use fuels with less than 0.5% sulphur, such as desulphurised HFO, distillates (diesel) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). The options of lighter fuels and desulphurisation entail costs, including higher energy consumption at refineries, and the present study identifies and compares compliance options as a function of ship type and operational patterns. The results indicate distillates as an attractive option for smaller vessels, while scrubbers will be an attractive option for larger vessels. For all vessels, apart from the largest fuel consumers, residual fuels desulphurised to less than 0.5 % sulphur are also a competing abatement option. Moreover, we analyse the interaction between global SOX reductions and CO2 (and fuel consumption), and the results indicate that the higher fuel cost for distillates will motivate shippers to lower speeds, which will offset the increased CO2 emissions at the refineries. Scrubbers, in contrast, will raise speeds and CO2 emissions.
    Keywords: Shipping and the environment; Abatement cost and options; CO2; Marine fuels; MARPOL; IMO
    JEL: L92 Q50 Q52
    Date: 2017–06–29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhhfms:2017_008&r=tre
  2. By: Stephen Gibbons; Wenjie Wu
    Abstract: China's airport construction policy has been successful in boosting manufacturing output, according to research by Stephen Gibbons and Wenjie Wu. Their study also finds that productivity impacts have been greater for private firms in areas with relatively high population and low educational achievement. The researchers address the question of whether opening new airports and expanding airport capacity stimulate economic growth, particularly in developing countries. The evidence they find on the positive impact of airport infrastructure in China suggests that reduced travel times and improved domestic market access help to boost industrial productivity.
    Keywords: airports, infrastructure, productivity, China
    JEL: H54 O21 P25 R41
    Date: 2017–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepcnp:509&r=tre
  3. By: Stephen Gibbons; Teemu Lyytikäinen; Henry Overman; Rosa Sanchis-Guarner
    Abstract: New investment in roads can produce economic benefits, even in mature infrastructure networks like the UK's, according to research by Henry Overman and colleagues. At the same time, they argue, improved evaluation of new UK road schemes is badly needed. New investment in transport infrastructure is seen as a key plank of a modern industrial strategy, and is central to many local economic growth strategies. This study looks at the impact of UK road investment on jobs.
    Keywords: productivity, employment, accessibility
    JEL: D24 O18 R12
    Date: 2017–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepcnp:510&r=tre
  4. By: Joseph DeSalvo (Department of Economics, University of South Florida); Qing Su (Department of Marketing, Economics and Sports Business, Northern Kentucky University)
    Abstract: This paper applies fixed effects (within-groups) and between-groups estimations to panel data to test hypotheses of the monocentric urban model with urbanized area data for the period 1990–2010. The paper examines the impact of population, household income, transportation cost, and land rent at the urban fringe on urbanized area spatial size. The fixed effects regression finds that a 1- percent increase in population and a 1- percent decrease in travel cost causes an urbanized area to expand by 1.087 percent and 0.127 percent, respectively. The impact of household income is non-linear. The regression results from the between-groups estimation indicate that geographic and political factors help explain the spatial size differences across urbanized areas. The spatial size of an urbanized area is larger with a higher percentage of the urban fringe overlying aquifers, a higher percentage of local revenues from intergovernmental transfers, a higher percentage of urban fringe incorporated in 1980, and a lower elevation range in the urban fringe.
    Keywords: urban spatial expansion; panel data, within-groups estimation, between-groups estimation
    JEL: R10
    Date: 2017–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:usf:wpaper:0217&r=tre

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