Green Shipping Research Articles

The environmental footprint of e-commerce in modern conditions

The article is devoted to studying the ecological impact of e-commerce on the environment and the theoretical aspect of setting and applying sustainable development goals in this sector. As part of the work, an analysis of the growing trend of digital business model research was carried out, considering the three main goals of sustainable development. The relevance of the research is due to the rapid changes in the world, which must be responded to to provide for future generations. Such research methods were used as abstraction, synthesis, empirical research methods, the Scopus information platform's resource base, comparison method, graphic interpretation, and the VosViewer program. The article considered the main opinions of scientists regarding electronic commerce. A bibliographic analysis from the Scopus scientometric database is shown. The relationship between «e-commerce» and «sustainable development» was investigated. The dependence of Internet users over time on social network users from 2012 to 2022 was shown. This dependence was shown in the context of the growth of digital sales, which reflects trends in e-commerce, where the parallel development of Internet users and social networks took place. According to the graph, the equation of direct dependence is given and the coefficient of multiple determination - R2 is determined. In addition, it is determined to increase sales of goods worldwide with ecological delivery and ecological packaging. The implementation of environmentally friendly packaging and delivery not only contributes to the preservation of the environment, but also positively affects the image of the company, making it more attractive to customers who support sustainability and environmental responsibility. It also showed shoppers' appreciation of green alternatives for e-commerce packaging and found that people are willing to pay more for green shipping. The results of the study allow company managers and buyers to adhere to the goals of sustainable development.

After five years’ application of the European Union monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) mechanism: Review and prospectives

The global shipping sector is a major generator of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2018, to reduce emissions, the European Union (EU) implemented a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system for large ships using EU ports. The MRV system has been functional for five years, with four years of data available as of May 2023. Despite this, the MRV data have not been fully explored, particularly in terms of analyzing the temporal trends of key parameters in MRV reports and evaluating the emission performance of shipping companies during the MRV implementation period. To address these gaps, this study analyzes MRV data collected from 2018 to 2021, investigating trends in ship's basic information, emissions monitoring methods, and energy efficiency. A case study of five shipping companies is conducted to evaluate their carbon emission performance, which highlights the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the industry. Furthermore, this study proposes policy recommendations and management strategies based on the data analysis results; these include facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing, investing in green shipping infrastructure, and adopting accurate monitoring methods. These recommendations can guide policymakers and industry stakeholders to improve the MRV system and promote a more sustainable shipping industry in the EU and worldwide.

Green shipping picks up speed

Green shipping picks up speed

Economic and emission assessment of LNG-fuelled ships for inland waterway transportation

As the main transportation channel, the huge shipping volumes of inland rivers lead to significant emissions from ships. Inland shipping has an increasing demand for the development of green ships. Liquid natural gas (LNG) is considered to be an ideal marine fuel because of its many advantages. This paper aims to assess the economy and CO2 emission reduction of LNG-fuelled ships on inland waterway transportation, under the context that the uniqueness of inland waterway transportation, as well as cargo transportation regulations and policies are taken into account. Firstly, considering the preferential policies for LNG-fuelled ships and the mandatory use of shore power for oil-fuelled ships, we proposed a fuel consumption calculation formula and established economic and emission assessment models for inland ships. Then, we examined these models with simulation examples of three main cargo types, i.e. dry bulk, containers and dangerous goods, transported on the Yangtze River. The optimal ranges of LNG-fuelled ship size were given under various credible scenarios designed according to the transportation systems. The results show: (1) The optimal range of dead-weight tonnage (DWT) of LNG-fuelled ships for dry bulk, container and dangerous goods are between 3,000–5,000 DWT, 3,000–4,000 DWT and 2,000–3,000 DWT, respectively. (2) LNG-fuelled dry bulk ships of about 10,000 DWT or more are uneconomical compared to oil-fuelled ships of the same tonnage. (3) Smaller LNG-fuelled ships, such as dry bulk ships of less than 1,500 DWT, container and dangerous goods ships of less than 2,000 DWT, or ships serving longer routes of approximately more than 1,000 km have most significant unit CO2 emission reduction than oil-fuelled ships of the same tonnage. (4) Excessive waiting time at locks will reduce the economic feasibility and unit CO2 emission reduction of LNG-fuelled ships. Finally, we obtained a series of important management significances by simulating the changes of some variable parameters in real situations. These conclusions can provide some theoretical foundations for the development of LNG-fuelled or other green ships in inland waterways, and guide the government in formulating policies to promote the green transformation of the inland shipping industry.

Green development of the maritime industry: Overview, perspectives, and future research opportunities

Maritime industry is the artery of the global economy since it carries around 90% of the volume of global trade. However, the fierce environmental problems associated with human activities and economic development cannot be neglected. To systematically analyze the research status and development trend of the maritime industry, this paper collects and reviews literature from Elsevier ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases related to green shipping management and green port construction. Future research directions are presented based on the analysis. The results show that green shipping management focus on solving practical emission reduction problems. Most work of green port construction establish mathematical optimization models aiming at minimizing total operation costs or maximizing profits. Designing efficient algorithms is a research hotspot in operation management. By comparing the technical measures, operational strategy, and market-based measures, we found technical innovation is the ultimate way for the maritime industry to realize net zero-emission. Support from governments and organizations is the insurance of green development. Future research perspectives include adopting high-tech technologies such as blockchain, big data, and artificial intelligent to improve operation efficiency and reduce emissions, providing more accurate suggestions for constructing green and smart ports, proposing multi-objective optimization models and highlighting the environmental target. This research can improve the existing theoretical frameworks and provide several future research directions for academia and practitioners.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management practices in food industry: professionals’ perspective

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the impact of sustainable practices in food supply chains. Practices are identified from the literature and their implementation maturity level by companies is assessed. Through a systematic literature review, current best sustainable practices about supply chain management in the food industry are identified. Then, a questionnaire survey is administered to professionals, and the results are quantitatively analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Twenty-five best sustainable supply chain management practices are considered. Among these, some practices appear to be well established on both the academic and industrial sides, such as sustainable supplier management practices. On the contrary, other practices widely discussed in the literature, such as green shipping and distribution, or collaborative practices are still rarely adopted. Moreover, some practices appear to have a direct influence on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions a business should be accountable for. This work includes the point of view of professionals that are increasingly dealing with the sustainability issue.

"THE GREEN SHIPPING. STUDY ON REGULATIONS AND SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS FOR DECARBONISATION "

The maritime sector is responsible for more than 90% of world trade. This generates increasing international shipping fleet, that means significant contribution to environment pollution. In this context, appears the need for a cleaner maritime transport, a green one. The paper presents the concepts of “green shipping”, “eco-ship” and regulations that must be respected in relation to environment protection. This study highlights also the IMO’s regulations for green shipping, as IMO is the most important organization that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships. The work examines briefly few options for decarbonisation in shipping, outlining the role of government policies, for huge investments in new and clean technologies and, also, in infrastructure for the production, distribution and utilisation of alternative marine fuels and biofuels.

Preface

These proceedings contain the peer-reviewed full papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (ICMASS), held November 8-9, 2023, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. ICMASS is the conference where leading industry and academia meet to discuss and advance the latest in science and technology in maritime autonomous surface ships. The conference features contributions with clear technical applications as well as more application-oriented results.The theme of this year’s ICMASS is “Autonomy for Sustainable & Green Shipping”, featuring over 50 contributions covering topics such as AI & autonomy, onboard control, remote & shore control, smart ships as part of smart logistics, market uptake, safety evaluations, multi-vessel interactions, collision avoidance, regulatory & legal frameworks, as well as discussions on liability. The papers published in these ICMASS’23 proceedings contain theoretical contributions as well as reports on practical implementations in field labs and industry.A conference such as this can only succeed as a team effort, and, as such, we thank the International Program Committee and the Reviewers for their excellent work in reviewing the papers as well as their invaluable input and advice.On behalf of the organizing committee,Rie B. Larsen, Ørnulf Jan Rødseth, Rudy NegenbornList of ICMASS’23 Organizing Committee, International Programme Committee are available in this Pdf.

Green maritime logistics coalition by green shipping corridors: a new paradigm for the decarbonisation of the maritime industry

ABSTRACT The Clydebank Declaration proposed the concept of Green Shipping Corridor (GSC) at the 26th Congress of the Parties (COP 26) in 2021 to prioritise and accelerate the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. By sharing cost and risk burdens by the ten key stakeholders in the production of zero-emission ships and the use of green fuel oils, the GSC is conceived as an effective policy mechanism and logistics strategy to reduce GHG emissions at sea as well as to mitigate business risks inherent in the value chain. To ignite broader policy debate and discussion on the practical value of GSC, this paper reviews the current developments in GSCs, identifies key challenges in its implementation from a stakeholder’s perspective, and sets out global research agendas and future directions for decarbonising the maritime industry in the context of GSC.

Study on the Effect of Hull Attitude on the Resistance Reduction of SWATH with Airflow Injection

With the development of the green ship concept in design and construction, how to reduce the resistance to reduce fuel consumption has become a focus of ship research. As an important drag reduction method, the air lubrication method has been applied to various ship types, but it is still a new method in the study of SWATH (small waterplane area twin hull) drag reduction. In this paper, the air lubrication method is applied to a SWATH model with an overall length of 2.5 m to numerically study the influence of the hull attitude on the air coverage and resistance reduction. The grid is verified by the grid independence and the experiment results. Then, the resistance of the SWATH model under different trim angles and drafts is calculated, and the air coverage on the surface is observed. The drag reduction rates of different areas, including the strut, underwater body, and fins, are analyzed, too. The results show that the slight trim by the head is more conducive to the resistance reduction of the SWATH model, and the resistance reduction rate can reach 39.11%. The draft mainly affects the resistance reduction of the strut, and the difference is more than 10%.

Study on Trade Effects of Green Maritime Transport Efficiency: An Empirical Test for China Based on Trade Decision Model

As the natural environment continues to deteriorate, countries have begun to shift their emphasis to sustainable development, and the study of green shipping—as the main realization of international trade—is an important prerequisite for global sustainable trade. This paper measures the green maritime transport efficiency considering greenhouse gas emissions using the Super-slacks-based measurement (Super-SBM) method, then extrapolates the theoretical model of trade decision covering maritime transport efficiency and maritime transport distance based on the transcendental logarithmic utility function. A panel econometric model based on this theoretical model was constructed, and then the trade effects of green maritime transport efficiency and its transmission mechanism were studied empirically based on the data of 60 sample countries (regions) in five continents from the years 2010 to 2020. The study shows that green maritime transport efficiency significantly promotes China’s foreign trade through three channels: promoting technological progress, reducing trade costs and curbing environmental deterioration. Additionally, this effect tends to be stronger for countries that are IMO members and have higher incomes. This article’s research helps to provide new empirical evidence to explain the growth of international trade.

직접토크제어를 이용한 저압용 친환경 선박 추진 전동기의 속도제어

직접토크제어를 이용한 저압용 친환경 선박 추진 전동기의 속도제어

Energy efficiency and decarbonization for container fleet in international shipping based on IMO regulatory frameworks: A case study for South Korea

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact and potential of ship’s energy efficiency and decarbonization in Korean container shipping following the IMO regulatory framework. The IMO started implementing the EEXI (Energy Efficiency eXisting-ship Index) and CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator) regulations for the existing vessels on 1 November 2022. The government of South Korea announced a national plan called “the 2030 Greenship-K initiative” to boost the shipbuilding and shipping industries. This plan describes 140 merchant vessels with green ship technologies that will be required for sustainable shipping. The Korean container fleet needs to examine the impact of the IMO regulations through eco-friendly technologies like engine power limitation, energy-saving devices, alternative maritime fuels, etc. It is necessary to select an eco-friendly technology based on the marginal abatement cost for the fleet. Five case studies are considered on which alternative is beneficial for ship decarbonization. The most favorable alternative seems to be an LNG fuel retrofit for the EEXI and CII regulations for the Korean container fleet.

Optimizing Energy Management and Case Study of Multi-Energy Coupled Supply for Green Ships

The ship industry is currently facing numerous challenges, including rising fuel prices, limited fuel resources, and increasingly strict regulations related to energy efficiency and pollutant emissions. In this context, the adoption of green-ship wind–photovoltaic–electricity–fuel multi-energy supply systems has emerged as an efficient and clean technology that harnesses multiple energy sources. These systems have the potential to increase the utilization of renewable energy in ship operations while optimizing management practices in order to enhance overall energy efficiency. To address these challenges, this article presents a comprehensive energy supply system for ships that integrates multi-energy sources for cold–heat–electricity supply. The primary components of this system include fuel cells, photovoltaic equipment, wind turbines, electric heating pumps, electric refrigerators, thermal refrigerators, batteries, and heat storage tanks. By ensuring the safety of the system, our approach aims to minimize daily operating costs and optimize the performance of the multi-energy flow system by running scheduling models. To achieve this, our proposed system utilizes dynamic planning techniques combined with ship navigation conditions to establish an optimized management model. This model facilitates the coordinated distribution of green ship electricity, thermal energy, and cooling loads. The results of our study demonstrate that optimized management models significantly reduce economic costs and improve the stability of energy storage equipment. Specifically, through an analysis of the economic benefits of power storage and heat storage tanks, we highlight the potential for reducing fuel consumption by 6.0%, 1.5%, 1.4%, and 2.9% through the use of electric–thermal hybrid energy storage conditions.

Prioritizing Shipyard Conversion Requirements Regarding Green Ship and Green Shipyard Concept

The zero waste, zero emission targets set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regarding ship emissions until 2070 brought the realization of the green ship and green shipyard concept to the fore. Shipyards around the world are predominantly second and third generation. The fourth and fifth-generation shipyards do not fully meet the 2070 criteria. Therefore, it is necessary to build green shipyards or transform existing shipyards to produce green ships. The study aims to determine the shipyards' conversion requirements and prioritize these needs so that a 32.000 DWT Dry Bulk Carrier can be built and classified as a green ship. Qualitative research methods were used in the study, and the criteria determined in this context are analyzed with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). At the end of the study, the proposals regarding the transformation strategies of green shipyards have been developed.

Role of carbon emission linked financial leasing in shipping decarbonization

ABSTRACT Carbon emission-linked financial leasing (CFL) is a type of financial service that encourages commitment by borrowers to pursue decarbonization for greener operations. The main difference between CFL and traditional financial leasing (TFL) is that the financial lease hire is dynamically linked to the actual carbon emissions. This study investigates a green shipping operations system comprising a capital-constrained shipping firm providing green shipping services to shippers and a financial leasing firm providing the financial leasing business of green ships. By imposing a hard constraint on carbon emissions, we construct game theory models for CFL and TFL. The optimal equilibrium solutions in CFL and TFL are obtained, as well as comparisons of the profits and price of shipping services in different financial leasing models. Results corroborate that CFL is more effective for decarbonization. The participants need to sacrifice their profits, even if carbon reduction cost can be shifted to shippers through the price of shipping services. Tighter carbon emissions constraints can reinforce the effects of shipping decarbonization. Furthermore, we extend our study to cap-and-trade scheme for application. Most of the results derived in the models with a hard constraint on carbon emissions are applicable in the situation with cap-and-trade scheme

A Big-Data-Based Experimental Platform for Green Shipping Monitoring and Its Teaching Application

The construction of New Business Studies (NBS) in China and big data technology offer an opportunity for teaching reform. Based on the existing teaching resources, professional knowledge, data, and technology, we monitored the dynamics and checked the statistics of air pollutant emissions from ships in global waters. Various techniques of big data analysis and methods of artificial intelligence were employed, including data collection, data fusion, feature analysis, deep learning network, and system testing. Specifically, the scenario of green shipping monitoring was reproduced by virtual reality; experimental learning was carried out, involving five experimental methods, eight experimental steps, and ten interactive operations; and the results of the experimental learning were assessed. In this way, the students had a better cognition of datasets, a deeper understanding of data correlation, and an improved mastery of interactive operations. In addition, the students varied in terms of learning performance, experimental participation, and active performance inspired by individual thinking. Overall, the students were satisfied with the quality of experimental learning.

Green ship evaluation based on improved AHP-FCE-ODM model from the perspective of shipbuilding supply chain

ABSTRACT To effectively solve the current problems of the existing evaluation system such as redundant indicator systems, not being comprehensive enough, and single evaluation subjects, this paper establishes the green ship evaluation indicator system from the perspective of green shipbuilding supply chain such as procurement, shipbuilding, navigation, and scrapping. On this basis, the method of analytic hierarchy process is adopted to determine the indicator weights at all levels, and the initial weights are revised by the method of decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory, which effectively reduces the mutual influence among the evaluation indicators at each level. Taking five 10,000-ton container ships made by different manufacturers as an example, the paper applies the specific application of improved analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation in the research, and the obstacle degree model is used to find out the factors that hinder the improvement of the green level. Evaluation results guarantee the validity of the method.

A comprehensive review of emission reduction technologies for marine transportation

The marine environment is experiencing significant impacts due to increased shipping traffic. The maritime industry must develop a low-carbon shipping strategy to comply with the increasingly strict emission regulations. This paper comprehensively reviews various decarbonization technologies, including navigation systems, hull design configuration, propulsion and power systems, and alternative fuels. By comparing a wide range of technologies in terms of their emission reduction potential and economic feasibility, this paper is intended to provide a full picture of alternative methods for future green shipping. Alternative fuels and hybrid power systems are found to have high potential for reducing carbon emissions and enhancing sustainability. The type of ship, its design configurations, and operation parameters affect the performance of optimal weather routing systems. With the current maritime policy and technological development, the transition from traditional marine fuel to liquefied natural gas can act as a temporary solution and provide significant decarbonization for maritime transportation. The emission reduction potential can be further enhanced with alternative fuels combined with hybrid power systems with high control flexibility.

Can the International Regulatory Framework on Ships’ Routing, Ship Reporting, and Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Accommodate Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS)?

The recent maiden voyage of the Yara Birkeland witnessed yet another development in autonomy that is transforming the maritime sector. Marine autonomous surface ships (MASS) are claimed to bring many opportunities to society at large, not least in terms of operational efficiency and safety of the crew, fewer emissions, and greener shipping. On the assumption that MASS will prove safe enough to ply our seas and oceans, this article investigates the flexibility and ability of the existing International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations on ships’ routing, ship reporting, and vessel traffic service (VTS) to respond to the technological developments, allowing for the operation of both remotely controlled ships without seafarers on board and fully autonomous ships. It argues that the regulations in question are largely supportive of autonomy. Challenges, however, exist when it comes to the employment of fully autonomous ships and the effective use of VTS.