Search Results (10)

The southern Baltic Sea is characterized by highly variable weather conditions, particularly in autumn and winter, when storms, strong westerly winds, and temporary sea ice formation disrupt maritime operations. This study presents a climatographic overview and evaluates key hydrometeorological factors that influence the safe and efficient use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as bunkering fuel in the region. The analysis draws on long-term meteorological and hydrological datasets (1971–2020), including satellite observations and in situ measurements. It identifies operational constraints, such as wind speed, wave height, visibility, and ice cover, and assesses their impact on LNG logistics and terminal functionality. Thresholds for safe operations are evaluated in accordance with IMO and ISO safety standards. An ice severity forecast for 2011–2030 was developed using the ECHAM5 global climate model under the A1B emission scenario, indicating potential seasonal risks to LNG operations. While baseline safety criteria are generally met, environmental variability in the region may still cause temporary disruptions. Findings underscore the need for resilient port infrastructure, including anti-icing systems, heated transfer equipment, and real-time environmental monitoring, to ensure operational continuity. Integrating weather forecasting into LNG logistics supports uninterrupted deliveries and contributes to EU goals for energy diversification and emissions reduction. The study concludes that strategic investments in LNG infrastructure—tailored to regional climatic conditions—can enhance energy security in the southern Baltic, provided environmental risks are systematically accounted for in operational planning. Full article

Maritime transport carries over 80% of global trade by volume and remains the most energy-efficient mode for long-distance goods movement. However, the sector contributes approximately 3% of global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, a share that could rise to 17% by 2050 without effective regulation. In response, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced initial and short-term measures to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions. In 2023, IMO Strategy expanded on these efforts with medium-term measures, including Market-Based Mechanisms (MBMs) such as a GHG levy, a feebate system, and fuel intensity regulations combined with carbon pricing. This study evaluates the economic and environmental impacts of these measures using an integrated computational simulation model that combines Ocean Engineering and Economics. Our results indicate that all proposed measures support the IMO’s intermediate emission reduction targets through 2035, cutting absolute emissions by more than 50%. However, economic impacts vary significantly across regions, with most of Africa, Asia, and South America experiencing the greatest adverse effects on GDP and trade. Among the measures, the GHG levy exerts the strongest pressure on economic activity and food prices, while a revised fuel intensity mechanism imposes lower costs, particularly in the short term. Revenue redistribution mitigates GDP losses but does so unevenly across regions. By leveraging a general equilibrium model (GTAP) to capture indirect effects often overlooked in prior studies, this analysis provides a comprehensive comparison of policy impacts. The findings underscore the need for equitable and pragmatic decarbonization strategies in the maritime sector, contributing to ongoing IMO policy discussions. Full article

This study introduces an innovative Emotional Artificial Neural Network (EANN) model to predict ship fuel consumption with high accuracy, addressing the challenges posed by complex environmental conditions and operational variability. This research examines the impact of climate change on maritime operations and fuel efficiency by analyzing climatic variables such as wave period, wind speed, and sea-level rise. The model’s performance is assessed using two ship types (bulk carrier and container ship with max 60,000 dead weight tonnage (DWT)) under various climate scenarios. A comparative analysis demonstrates that the EANN model significantly outperforms the conventional Feedforward Neural Network (FFNN) in predictive accuracy. For bulk carriers, the EANN achieved a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 5.71 tons/day during testing, compared to 9.91 tons/day for the FFNN model. Similarly, for container ships, the EANN model achieved an RMSE of 5.97 tons/day, significantly better than the FFNN model’s 10.18 tons/day. A sensitivity analysis identified vessel speed as the most critical factor, contributing 33% to the variance in fuel consumption, followed by engine power and current speed. Climate-change simulations showed that fuel consumption increases by an average of 22% for bulk carriers and 19% for container ships, highlighting the importance of operational optimizations. This study emphasizes the efficacy of the EANN model in predicting fuel consumption and optimizing ship performance. The proposed model provides a framework for improving energy efficiency and supporting compliance with International Maritime Organization Standards (IMO) environmental standards. Meanwhile, the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) evaluation results emphasize the urgent need for measures to reduce carbon emissions to meet the IMO’s 2030 standards. Full article

The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) regulation is a short-term measure of IMO for reducing GHG emissions from ships. In addition, the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy describes that the CII regulation is anticipated to create a potential synergy effect with other measures. Accordingly, the CII regulation, which took effect in 2023, is forecast to increasingly impact international shipping and the commercial vessel market. However, efforts to improve energy efficiency and implement slow steaming for ships are insufficient to meet the CII regulation that is increasingly stringent over time. Therefore, there is a growing need for fundamental improvements in future response strategies. In this study, major causes of low CII ratings for ships were investigated from a recent consulting project that was conducted to support shipping companies in satisfying the regulation from operational and technical perspectives. Lastly, proposals to implement the CII regulation effectively and to reduce GHG emissions from ships fundamentally were made, taking into account the major causes derived from the consulting. Full article

Maritime transport is the most widely used means of transporting goods, and forecasts indicate that it will continue to grow in the coming years, which is why the IMO is regulating energy efficiency and emissions from maritime transport with exhaustive monitoring. The most widely used measure of energy efficiency during operation on a ship is the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI); however, the difficulty in obtaining references for this indicator, together with the great variability that exists between shipowners when choosing terms such as “cargo transported”, among others, means that this operational indicator of energy efficiency in ships does not have the expected results. This work develops a two-phase procedure for the selection of representative EEOI values for ships, taking into account parameters such as ship speed, cargo, mode of operation and the subsequent determination of a suitable control system that allows the continuous and real-time implementation of measures to improve energy and environmental efficiency on the ship. The proposed final procedure is effective in terms of improving energy efficiency and emissions, on top of being simple, easily implementable, working in real time and adapting to navigation circumstances while keeping emissions under control. Full article

The escalating impact of anthropogenic activities on global climate patterns necessitates urgent measures to reduce emissions, with the maritime industry playing a pivotal role. This article aims to examine the adoption of International Maritime Organization energy efficiency measures for the often-overlooked fishing vessels and their contribution to the overall maritime decarbonization efforts. The article analyzes the attained technical efficiency indices of a case study large-scale fishing vessel and compares them with those of two cargo ships where IMO measures already apply. To support the proposal, a comprehensive analysis of the energy efficiency indices of eight large purse seine fishing vessels is also presented. The results show that large-scale fishing vessels of 400 GT and above could be subject to the IMO energy efficiency measures. The operational challenges, unique to the fishing sector, suggest that sector-specific considerations may be required to integrate the fishing fleet into the already existing IMO energy efficiency guidelines. Looking ahead, this article explores the benefits of aligning Regulation (EU) 2023/957 and IMO guidelines, as well as applying the IMO Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) in assessing the operational environmental impact of fishing operations, emphasizing the importance of including these vessels in the current regulatory frameworks to promote decarbonization. Full article

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the global shipping sector have been increasing due to global economic growth. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a goal of halving GHG emissions from the global shipping sector by 2050 as compared with 2008 levels, and has responded by introducing several international regulations to reduce the GHG emissions of maritime transportation. The impact of GHG emissions’ regulation and measures to curb them have been evaluated in the IMO’s GHG studies. However, the long-term influence of these GHG emission measures has not yet been assessed. Additionally, the impact of various GHG reduction measures on the shipping and shipbuilding markets has not been considered; accordingly, there is room for improvement in the estimation of GHG emissions. Therefore, in this study, a model to consider GHG emission scenarios for the maritime transportation sector was developed using system dynamics and was integrated into a shipping and shipbuilding market model. The developed model was validated based on actual results and estimation results taken from a previous study. Subsequently, simulations were conducted, allowing us to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of GHG emission-curbing measures using the proposed model. Concretely, we conducted an evaluation of the effects of current and future measures, especially ship speed reduction, transition to liquid natural gas (LNG) fuel, promotion of energy efficiency design index (EEDI) regulation, and introduction of zero-emission ships, for GHG emission reduction. Additionally, we conducted an evaluation of the combination of current and future measures. The results showed that it is difficult to achieve the IMO goals for 2050 by combining only current measures and that the introduction of zero-emission ships is necessary to achieve the goals. Moreover, the limits of ship speed reduction were discussed quantitatively in relation to the maritime market aspect, and it was found that the feasible limit of ship speed reduction from a maritime market perspective was approximately 50%. Full article

Container shipping is the largest producer of emissions within the maritime shipping industry. Hence, measures have been designed and implemented to reduce ship emission levels. IMO’s MARPOL Annex VI, with its future plan of applying Tier III requirements, the Energy Efficiency Design Index for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan for all ships. To assist policy formulation and follow-up, this study applies an energy consumption approach to estimate container ship emissions. The volumes of sulphur oxide (SO_x), nitrous oxide (NO_x), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted from container ships are estimated using 2018 datasets on container shipping and average vessel speed records generated via AIS. Furthermore, the estimated reductions in SO_x, NO_x, PM, and CO₂ are mapped for 2020. The empirical analysis demonstrates that the energy consumption approach is a valuable method to estimate ongoing emission reductions on a continuous basis and to fill data gaps where needed, as the latest worldwide container shipping emissions records date back to 2015. The presented analysis supports early-stage detection of environmental impacts in container shipping and helps to determine in which areas the greatest potential for emission reductions can be found. Full article

The Initial Strategy on reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2018 commits the IMO to reduce total GHG emissions of shipping by at least 50% by 2050. Though the direction of the Strategy is clear, the path to implementation remains uncertain. The ambitious IMO’s target calls for widespread uptake of lower and zero-carbon fuels, in addition to other energy efficiency measures, including operational and market ones. Using a triangulated research approach, this paper provides a critical overview of the main measures and initiatives the shipping industry can adopt to try to cope with the new IMO’s requirements. The pros and cons of the most popular emission reduction options are investigated along with the main challenges and barriers to implementation and the potential facilitators that could foster a wider application. The framework that is outlined is complex and not without controversy. Research can play a key role as a facilitator of shipping’s decarbonization by providing its contribution to overcoming the existing controversies on various decarbonization options and by developing a wealth of knowledge that can encourage the implementation of low-carbon initiatives. Full article

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) as the most important policy measure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping. A vessel’s EEDI is based on sea trials at delivery, and vessels cannot exceed a threshold for emitted CO₂ per ton-mile, depending on vessel type and size. From other industries such as cars we have learnt that testing methods must reflect realistic operating conditions to deliver the desired emission reductions. Present sea-trial procedures for EEDI adjust to ‘calm water conditions’ only, as a comparative basis, despite calm sea being the exception at sea. We find that this adjustment procedure excessively rewards full bodied ‘bulky’ hulls which perform well in calm water conditions. In contrast, hull forms optimized with respect to performance in realistic sea-conditions are not rewarded with the current EEDI procedures. Our results indicate that without adjusting the testing cycle requirements to also include a threshold for performance in waves (real sea), the desired reductions will be short on targets and GHG emissions could potentially increase. Full article