Abstract
Energy efficiency improvements in the shipping industry are being driven by economics, compliance and customer requirements. Whilst various technological and operation improvements are known and available, with many being demonstrated to be cost effective and with savings reported in the industry, their take up in the world fleet remains low. This low take-up can be considered due to many different barriers, as explored in various research studies. However the aim of this paper is first to understand how these barriers are created by considering how ship operations function day-to-day within the context of mainstream business practice. A holistic view of operations is required and is presented in this paper, including consideration of business focus areas in parallel with the functions of technical, operational and commercial stakeholders. With this laid-out, gaps within existing operations are discussed in relation to areas for practical improvements. From here, non-prescriptive mechanisms to enable a desired future are proposed; including the integration of mandates, processes and systems. Case studies are given throughout the paper using hull and propeller maintenance as a recurring example of a typical decision making processes and best practices.
Highlights
Energy efficiency, fuel consumption optimization and many other terms have been used synonymously to address issues and initiatives alike
It is estimated that Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) could contribute a 2% reduction to Business As Usual (BAU) shipping emissions by 2030 by taking a first step towards reducing market barriers; those related to a lack of reliable and robust information on ship performance (EU, 2014)
Profitability is a major area of focus leading to activities warranting increase in the number of days a vessel is available for service, minimizing the number of days of off-hire from charter for reasons like maintenance, reducing the operational expenditure, maximizing revenue with better charter rates and enhancing commercial operations
Summary
Again there are concerns over the effectiveness of MRV in providing greater transparency This is because the energy consumption monitoring practices are left to the industry to decide, which will not necessarily address the following four barrier challenges: data collection, misreporting, data analysis and feedback problems (Poulsen and Johnson, 2015). Further advantages of the ISO50001, and the codes such as the ISM code, over the SEEMP include: the requirement for mechanisms for reviewing energy demand, setting goals, monitoring performance; encapsulating company management rather than ship specific (Johnson et al, 2013) These are issues that still need addressing in the context of practical ship operations. Considering the perspective of 317 seafarers, survey results revealed the following as barriers to effective change: availability of education; communication between ship and shore, and internal and external stakeholders; transparency of limitations, capabilities, responsibilities and achievements towards energy efficiency improvements (Banks et al, 2014).
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