If sea-going vessels were better informed about the availability of berths and adapted their speed accordingly, substantial savings could be made in terms of fuel and CO2 emissions.
This conclusion is based on a study that was recently commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and research institute TNO.
Less Fuel, Lower Emissions
If sea-going vessels are regularly kept informed – particularly during the last twelve hours before arrival – about exactly when their berth becomes available, they can adapt their sailing speed accordingly. This usually means slowing down to arrive just in time. This leads to less fuel consumption and, thus, lower emissions. Significant savings are also possible thanks to shorter waiting times for ships in anchorage areas.
Modest Amounts, Huge Difference
The results of the study were presented this week at the head office of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London during a meeting of the IMO Intersessional working group on the reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions from ships.
‘In percentage terms, we’re talking about modest amounts,’ says Astrid Dispert, Technical Adviser of the GloMEEP Project (Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships). ‘But it’s exactly these types of measures that can make a huge difference in the short term and help reduce the carbon footprint of marine shipping. Added to that, they’d also have a beneficial effect on the wallets of the shipping companies.’
Five Per Cent Adjustment in Sailing Time
TNO and the Port of Rotterdam Authority analysed all the movements of container ships sailing to the port of Rotterdam in 2017.
‘By supplying more accurate information to ships, four per cent – or 134,000 tonnes – of CO2 emissions can be saved every year,’ explains Jan Hulskotte, Senior Researcher at TNO. ‘To do this, container ships would have to adjust their sailing speed by an average of five per cent, and still arrive at the planned arrival time.’ Even more savings are possible when ships are better informed more than twelve hours before arrival.
Shorter Waiting Times in Anchorage Areas
The study also examined the impact of shorter waiting times in anchorage areas for all ships sailing to Rotterdam. In the bulk transport sector, ships sometimes have to wait at anchor for hours or even days; this is mainly due to contractual obligations.
Hulskotte: ‘If this waiting time was an average of twelve hours shorter, that would really make a difference in percentage terms, with an annual reduction of 35 per cent in emissions. So we’re talking about 188,000 tonnes of CO2 and 1000 tonnes of nitrous oxides.’
CO2 Emission-free Operation in 2050
Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority: ‘Last year, we asked the Wuppertal Institute to look into how the transport and logistical sectors could operate virtually CO2 emission-free by 2050. They said that our first step should be to take efficiency measures. This study shows that those measures are within reach.’
Pronto
Earlier this year, the Port of Rotterdam Authority launched "Pronto". This port call optimisation platform combines a variety of data sources so that a port call can be planned as accurately as possible. This way, activities that must take place during the port call, can be seamlessly coordinated. The study data is now used in Pronto to make just-in-time sailing possible. Shipping companies can see what the sailing speed was, what the ideal speed would have been and how much fuel and CO2 could have been saved.
Pronto screenshot by Port of Rotterdam Authority.
