Shipping Emissions Significantly Reduced By Sailing Slower Analysis Shows

13th January 2025

Slow Steaming and Emissions Reduction: Insights from Transport & Environment (T&E) has reinforced its advocacy for slow steaming by publishing models on its website. According to their analysis, a container ship traveling between Rotterdam and Shanghai at 75% of its maximum speed could reduce carbon emissions by 47%. Although this approach decreases container capacity, T&E concludes that adding one additional ship for every four vessels would still result in a net reduction of CO₂ emissions by 34%, provided all ships operate at three-quarters speed.

Fuel Prices & Ship Speeds
A new study commissioned by T&E reveals no significant link between fuel prices and ship speeds, which are a critical factor in operational efficiency. While the study indicates that shipping companies tend to order more efficiently designed ships approximately six years after global oil prices increase, it found no correlation between fuel prices and actual sailing speeds. This conclusion is supported by the EU’s Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) data from 2018 to 2023.

Policy Implications & Efficiency Measures
Many policy-makers in the European Union (EU) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) argue that higher fuel prices resulting from emissions pricing and fuel standards will incentivise energy efficiency and emissions reductions. However, there is no scientific consensus or real-world evidence to substantiate this claim. To investigate further, T&E commissioned CE Delft to study the relationship between fuel prices and technical and operational efficiency over three decades. The findings indicate:

• Technical Efficiency: Shipping companies order slightly more efficient ships in response to higher fuel prices, albeit with a six-year delay.
• Operational Efficiency: No clear link exists between higher fuel prices and improved operational practices, such as reduced sailing speeds

These results highlight the need for targeted actions to drive energy efficiency. T&E urges policy-makers in the EU, IMO, and other regions to ensure their emissions reduction policies include explicit, concrete measures to enhance energy efficiency in the shipping sector.

MO Reforms & Future Steps
This call for action comes as the IMO continues addressing perceived shortcomings in the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), which recently came into effect. Reforms to the CII were a focal point at last year’s Marine Environment Protection Committee and are expected to feature prominently in the 2025 vote on the IMO’s next steps toward a net-zero shipping policy.

#Protea #Emissions #Monitoring #CEMS #FTIR #Gas #Analysers #Shipping #Marine #Carbon #Capture

Other Articles