Maritime Transport Research Articles

A fuzzy bayesian quantitative risk assessment for language and communication induced accidents in maritime operations

Language and communication issues pose a formidable risk to maritime safety. In maritime transportation, the effectiveness of speech acts and closed-loop communication is vulnerable to a wide array of factors. However, literature quantifying the impact of these factors on language and communication-induced accident risk is scarce. To that end, this study conducts a holistic quantitative risk assessment for the language and communication issues induced accidents in maritime transportation. The methodology consists of employing expert judgments, past literature, and accident reports to identify causation factors and a Fuzzy Bayesian approach to risk analysis. Bidirectionally propagated inferential analysis was conducted to determine the impact of factors under consideration in various scenarios. Lack of language proficiency and violations of the roles and regulations of communication were identified as prominent accident causation factors. Simultaneous evidence-setting analysis was conducted to determine the domino effect of the causation factors. A sensitivity analysis was performed to reveal the most critical factors causing language and communication issues induced accident risk. This study unravels the nuanced dynamics of language-related risk in maritime safety. The findings of this study can be used to propose guidelines and policies for effective communication and hence safer maritime operations.

Optimization of liquefaction cycles applied to CO2 coming from onshore pipeline to offshore ship transportation

In the field of the CO2 transportation for the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) process chain, several analyses show that, for a large-scale CO2 transportation, pipeline transportation is the preferred method on land due to its lower cost. Barges also present a feasible alternative if the capture site is near a waterway. Maritime transport becomes more advantageous than pipelines, particularly over long distances and across ocean. Despite the need to liquefy CO2 and to add temporary storage facilities for loading and unloading onto ships, beyond a certain distance at fixed CO2 transported and plant life, ship transport optimal at pressures of 7 or 15 bar depending on the type of vessel. Impurities in CO2, arising from various industrial processes and variable performances of capture technologies, increase energy consumption during compression and could cause corrosion risks. Specifications for CO2 ship transport limit the concentration of certain impurities with strict thresholds. Methods for purifying CO2, such as the two-flash system and stripping column, have been proposed to meet these specifications. The studied CO2 liquefaction methods show that hybrid cycles, combining open cycle with Joule-Thompson expansion and closed cycle with cooling machine offer reduced energy consumption and improved CO2 recovery compared to open or closed cycles. In the presence of the maximum threshold of impurities in the pipeline, energy consumption can nearly double from 21.8 kWh/tCO2 to 40.9 kWh/tCO2, with the highest recovery rising 98.1 %. This research underscores the importance of optimizing CO2 transport strategies to facilitate the deployment of CCUS technologies.

Carbon footprints: Uncovering spatiotemporal dynamics of global container ship emissions during 2015–2021

The proposed “peak carbon” and “carbon neutral” targets have catapulted the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the shipping industry into a global focal point. Given their pivotal role in global trade, the worldwide movements of container ships provide insights for decision-making in maritime shipping CO2 emission mitigation. This paper employs Automatic Identification System (AIS) trajectory data from 2015 to 2021 to estimate the global carbon emissions of container shipping through a bottom-up methodology, allocating emissions on a 1° × 1° grid. Additionally, it delves into the evolving trends in CO2 emissions from 2015 to 2021, conducts spatial autocorrelation analysis, identifies hot spots, examines the spatio-temporal distribution patterns of global container ship CO2 emissions, and analyzes the emission characteristics of major ocean shipping routes. The findings reveal a temporal pattern in global emissions from container shipping, characterized by an initial decrease followed by a rebound, notably declining from 217 million tons in 2016 to 148 million tons in 2020, and subsequently rising to 168 million tons in 2021. The spatial distribution of CO2 exhibits pronounced heterogeneity, marked by notable spatial dependence and aggregation tendencies. The spatial distribution of annual emissions from container shipping demonstrates a similar pattern, with peak emission clusters predominantly concentrated along the coastline and major ocean shipping routes. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of carbon emissions from container shipping with high spatial and temporal resolution, facilitating a detailed analysis of emission patterns and influencing factors. Furthermore, the outcomes offer a scientific foundation and decision-making support for environmentally sustainable practices in the global maritime shipping.

A modified adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm for solving the multi-port continuous berth allocation problem with vessel speed optimization

Despite its fast-growing popularity in maritime transportation, container shipping is still fraught with risks and uncertainties with its complex operating environments. This paper studies the multi-port continuous berth allocation problem with speed optimization (MCBAP). In the MCBAP, vessels visit multiple ports sequentially, and the problem aims at minimizing the sum of vessel sailing cost, waiting cost, delay cost and port handling cost, while satisfying various constraints related to vessel sailing and berthing. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model for MCBAP is formulated, and a modified adaptive large neighborhood search (MALNS) algorithm is proposed for solving large-scale MCBAPs. In the MALNS, an efficient initial solution generation strategy is developed, and a series of neighborhood solution generation operators are proposed. Finally, the proposed MILP model and MALNS algorithm are tested on a range of MCBAP instances. The numerical results demonstrate that the MILP model can be solved to optimality with CPLEX, and the MALNS can efficiently solve instances at various scales. In addition, sensitivity analyses on fuel prices and vessel design speeds (the planned maximum speeds) are performed, and management insights have been provided.

Predicting coastal wave conditions: A simple machine learning approach

Accurate and reliable nearshore wave predictions are highly valuable for a range of marine activities, including coastal engineering and maritime transport. However, in nearshore locations, predicting wave properties is challenging due to complex shallow water processes, requiring local wave models. This article develops an alternative data-driven framework to predict wave parameters (e.g. significant wave height) through the extension of wave buoy datasets using a trained Gaussian process regression (GPR – a supervised machine learning method). We present an easy-to-implement workflow, where the extensive range of input parameters (from ECMWF’s (1) ERA5 reanalysis and (2) IFS forecast global wave model, ≈50km resolution) drives the development of GPR models. At five contrasting locations around the United Kingdom’s coastline, the GPR models produce wave predictions (forecast and hindcast) with low bias scores and strong correlations with observations. When compared to the global (ERA5 reanalysis) and a benchmark shelf-scale (Atlantic-European North West Shelf reanalysis; AENWS, 1.5−3.0km resolution) model, the GPR hindcasts reduced significant wave height (Hs) root-mean-squared error (RMSE) from 0.46 m (ERA5) and 0.21 m (AENWS) to 0.16 m (GPR). For the average zero-crossing wave period (Tz) RMSE reduced from 1.46 s (ERA5) and 1.15 s (AENWS) to 0.58 s (GPR). Because our approach uses publicly available global data, it can be implemented at any historic or active buoy location. We provide proof of concept for an online forecast and hindcast tool which has the potential to improve accessibility to coastal wave predictions for many marine stakeholders.

Developing a machine learning-based evaluation system for the recruitment of maritime professionals

The maritime sector predominantly relies on subjective evaluations of seafarers' skills and experience in conventional recruiting procedures. Nevertheless, subjective evaluation methods are highly susceptible to biases and inconsistencies. This study proposes a novel recruitment process within the maritime industry by merging psychological tests and machine learning methods in the recruitment process. Using psychological tests such as MMPI-I as features in machine learning methods for the recruitment process represents a step-change approach within the industry to promote more objective assessments of maritime professionals during recruitment processes and identify suitable candidates based on data from same-rank maritime professionals. This new methodology contributes innovatively to traditional maritime sector recruitment methods and potentially addresses a significant gap in the existing literature. The proposed methodology aims to predict future values by analysing existing data sets. Data were collected from 183 volunteer cadets from different backgrounds using an application form and the MMPI-I Personality Inventory. The dataset was classified using several machine learning algorithms, and their performance metrics were compared. The top five classification algorithms (Decision tree, PNN, random forest, gradient boost trees, and naive Bayes) with the best performance were evaluated, and the most accurate classification performance was achieved with the GBT algorithm. The results show that the highest values are for Gradient Boosted Trees (86%) and Random Forest (80%). The GBT algorithm has scored higher values for other metrics as well. The findings of this study indicate that it is possible to train algorithms that can adequately forecast the credentials and appropriateness of marine recruits. Through more development, these data-driven solutions could enhance existing subjective recruitment practices. This approach could improve the objectivity and prediction accuracy of marine recruiting processes, hence facilitating the selection of highly qualified individuals.

Costs Relations in the Hydrocarbons Supply Chain Project

Most of the hydrocarbons supply chains are carried out using marine and pipeline transports. The use of tankers or pipelines on particular routes is determined by economic reasons. The problem of cost estimation in the hydrocarbons supply chains has not been covered in scientific publications. The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for analyzing the cost relations in the oil supply chain of an energy project in the Eastern Siberia Pacific Ocean (ESPO) Region. The results obtained using the developed method showed that the total cost of transporting one ton of oil for 100km by using ESPO pipelines are 6 - 8 times greater than the cost for a similar maritime shipping. It also shows that the cost of oil transportation will significantly increase if the pipeline capacity utilization decreases and the interest rate increases.

Risk evolution and prevention and control strategies in emergency responses for Arctic maritime transportation

The intertwined and complex risks involved in the various stages of the Arctic maritime transportation emergency response severely hinder the response's effectiveness. The present study aims to develop a risk coupling network involved in the Arctic maritime transportation emergency response. First, an Arctic maritime transportation emergency response scenario is defined by reviewing SAR manuals and agreements, emergency guidelines of ships, and emergency drill videos. Second, the control structure of the emergency response process is systematically analyzed through Systems-theoretic process analysis, and a risk coupling network with task-layer, unsafe control actions-layer, and risk-layer is developed. Third, the robustness of the risk coupling network is stimulated by random and deliberate attacks, where deliberate attacks are based on the measured results of node degree, betweenness centrality, and integrated values. Finally, critical risk factors are determined based on the results of the network robustness analysis, and targeted prevention and control strategies of critical risk factors for the Arctic maritime transportation emergency response are proposed. The research findings suggest that equipment/system failures, personnel experience and expression capabilities, the effects of high-latitude magnetic fields, response times to assistance requests, and the preparedness of emergency resources should be focused on during Arctic maritime transportation emergency response.

Life-cycle cost assessment of hull protection technologies considering their effect on the environmental friendliness of fishing vessels

Biofouling represents a global challenge for the maritime industry, affecting vessel performance and environmental footprint. This paper analyses various antifouling technologies to reduce the vessel's environmental impact and its operating costs by reduced fuel consumption and less frequent dry-docking. It evaluates both passive and active technologies – passive referring to antifouling coatings and active involving systems that continuously prevent biofouling using energy. The methodology employs mathematical models to quantify the additional resistance and emissions caused by biofouling. Using the case of a fishing vessel operating in the Adriatic Sea, operational features and potential economic and environmental benefits resulting implementing an innovative biofouling protection system are analysed. Economic analysis includes a comprehensive cost structure, investment details, maintenance and operating costs, and possible future carbon taxation scenarios. The research indicates that active antifouling protection is more efficient than passive protection, including a potential reduction of the required power of up to 120 kW, leading to decreased fuel consumption and lower environmental impact, particularly at higher speeds. Despite higher initial investments, life-cycle cost analysis favours active protection systems.

A new convention for negotiable multimodal transport documents? Challenges ahead and the way forward

With the evolution of modern multimodal transport, attempts made globally have not succeeded in creating an international legal instrument for the use of negotiable transport document that is not limited to marine transport. This prompts the proposal to draft a new convention for negotiable multimodal transport documents, but lessons from previous failures shall not be ignored. This article reviews and analyzes previous failures in attempts made to create legal recognition for negotiable transport documents internationally. It is found that practical and legal elements are equally significant in enabling the ocean bill of lading to perform its role in the financial settlement function. It then investigates the evolutionary history of the ocean bill of lading, and critically discusses the modality-neutral and “dual track” approach adopted by the drafters of the new instrument. It is suggested that reaching a legal and practical consensus involving cooperation between those responsible for the legal and practical aims will be the way forward, with an interaction among legislations, government policies and practice promotions.

Decarbonization Strategies in the U.S. Maritime Industry with a Focus on Overcoming Regulatory and Operational Challenges in Implementing Zero-Emission Vessel Technologies.

The U.S. maritime industry plays a significant role in global trade and is a substantial contributor to carbon emissions, with the sector facing increasing pressure to decarbonize in line with global climate goals. This paper discusses the challenges and strategies for decarbonizing the U.S. maritime industry, laying emphasis on the adoption of zero-emission vessel (ZEV) technologies, such as battery-electric ships, hydrogen fuel cells, wind-assisted propulsion, and alternative fuels like bio-LNG and ammonia. Despite the availability of these technologies, the transition to ZEVs faces several barriers, including high capital costs, regulatory inconsistencies, and insufficient infrastructure. Existing regulatory frameworks, including the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) emissions targets, the U.S. Clean Air Act, and the U.S. Coast Guard requirements, offer some guidance but are often fragmented and insufficiently aligned to foster widespread adoption of decarbonization technologies. Upcoming mandates, such as the IMO's 2050 target, further brings to view the urgency of this transition. However, gaps in regulations and the lack of incentives hinder technological innovation and fleet modernization. The paper also discusses the need for enhanced governmental involvement, with organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the U.S. Coast Guard playing a critical role in streamlining policies and supporting the adoption of zero-emission technologies. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing infrastructure gaps related to fueling, charging, and port readiness for ZEVs. Furthermore, it highlights operational challenges such as range, performance, and energy density concerns that must be overcome for ZEVs to become commercially viable. The paper advocates for stronger policy frameworks, including subsidies, tax incentives, carbon pricing, and investment in research and development, to drive the transition. Public-private partnerships and industry collaboration are essential to overcoming financial barriers and creating a sustainable, decarbonized maritime sector. By implementing these strategies, the U.S. maritime industry can significantly reduce its emissions, contribute to global climate goals, and set a precedent for sustainable maritime practices worldwide.

How should mode competitiveness and profit be balanced in maritime transport? – Vessel speed optimization approach including Northern Sea Route

How should mode competitiveness and profit be balanced in maritime transport? – Vessel speed optimization approach including Northern Sea Route

Container Management System in Batumi Port

Currently, the maritime economy of Georgia is developing quite rapidly. The special geopolitical position of our country in the Eurasian region, in the neighborhood of countries on the path of market reforms, forces the Georgian government to restore the infrastructure of the national economy to effectively use our territorial traditional advantages: mineral resources, free agricultural areas, a large coast, to create convenient port complexes. All this contributes to the development of modern marine transport, cargo, passenger, as well as mixed cargo-passenger complexes. Sea transport is used to transport goods between the country's ports, as well as to develop and ensure Georgia's foreign economic relations with foreign countries. As of 2015, maritime transport accounted for more than 86% of the country's export-import traffic. In 2021, sea vessels entered the ports of Georgia 370 times from 65 foreign countries, which provided more than 86% of the country's needs in foreign trade transportation. In recent years, major technical retooling of seaports has been carried out, tonnage has significantly increased, and the capacity of ships has increased. The capacity of the ships' power plants has increased, automation of several production processes on ships has been introduced, and new transport technologies have been introduced, which ensure safer and more trouble-free navigation of the fleet. The modern port system is a complex hierarchical structure that combines ship companies and fleets, navigation and information support systems, computer systems, and computer-related means of land transportation of goods. Keywords: Container management system, Batumi port, container platform, computer system.

Improving Vietnam’s law on contracts for international carriage of goods by sea: a comparative analysis with international conventions

ABSTRACT This paper critically examines the Vietnamese legal framework governing contracts for the international carriage of goods by sea, particularly in comparison to international conventions such as the Hague-Visby Rules, Hamburg Rules, and Rotterdam Rules. Despite its strategic maritime importance and extensive coastline, Vietnam has not fully aligned its maritime transport laws with these international standards. Through a detailed comparative analysis, the paper identifies key shortcomings in Vietnamese law, particularly in areas such as carrier liability, limitation periods for legal actions, and the adoption of electronic transport documents. The paper proposes specific legal reforms to enhance Vietnam's maritime legal system, making it more consistent with international norms and better suited to the nation's economic conditions. By adopting these recommendations, Vietnam can improve its maritime legal framework, fostering greater integration into the global marine economy and better protecting the rights and interests of all parties involved in maritime transport.

HCA-RFLA: A SAR Remote Sensing Ship Detection Based on Hierarchical Collaborative Attention Method and Gaussian Receptive Field-Driven Label Assignment Strategy

Ensuring safety at sea has become a primary focus of marine monitoring, driving the increasing adoption of ship detection technology in the maritime industry. Detecting small ship targets in SAR images presents challenges, as they occupy only a small portion of the image and exhibit subtle features, reducing detection efficiency. To address these challenges, we propose the HCA-RFLA algorithm for ship detection in SAR remote sensing. To better capture small targets, we design a hierarchical collaborative attention (HCA) mechanism that enhances feature representation by integrating multi-level features with contextual information. Additionally, due to the scarcity of positive samples for small targets under IoU and center sampling strategies, we propose a label assignment strategy based on Gaussian receptive fields, known as RFLA. RFLA assigns positive samples to small targets based on the Gaussian distribution between feature points and ground truth, increasing the model’s sensitivity to small samples. The HCA-RFLA was experimentally validated using the SSDD, HRSID, and SSD datasets. Compared to other state-of-the-art methods, HCA-RFLA improves detection accuracy by 6.2%, 4.4%, and 3.6%, respectively. These results demonstrate that HCA-RFLA outperforms existing algorithms in SAR remote sensing ship detection.

Light transport in turbid water for 3D underwater imaging

Light transport in turbid water for 3D underwater imaging

Relationships among employee-friendly organization, performance, and turnover intention in the maritime industry: the mediating role of organizational happiness & collective efficacy

ABSTRACT The concept of an employee-friendly workplace has emerged as a novel area of discussion within the human resources departments of organizations, coinciding with the adoption of employee-centric management strategies. Due to its recent inception, literature on this subject remains relatively sparse. However, existing studies suggest that workplace happiness significantly influences various aspects of work dynamics, including job performance, turnover intention, and collective efficacy. This study seeks to elucidate the interrelation between employee-friendly workplace amenities, employee happiness, collective efficacy, turnover intention, and individual performance within a maritime organization context. Data collected from six hundred onshore office employees of a Turkish ship-owner and port operator organization via an online questionnaire were subjected to structural equation modelling using the LISREL version 8.8 statistical package programme. The findings reveal that organizational happiness serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between employees’ perceptions of work type and workplace amenities and individual performance. Through this investigation, the study aims to offer valuable insights into the mediating roles of organizational happiness and collective efficacy in the workplace.

Towards a Strategic Management Framework for Enhancing South Africa’s Seafarer Development Programme: Addressing Placement Challenges

The global shortage of qualified seafarers, particularly at the officer level, presents both a challenge and an opportunity for South Africa. Despite the country’s strategic location along critical international trade routes, South African seafarers face significant challenges in obtaining placement upon completion of their training. This article presents a systematic literature review on the placement challenges experienced by seafarers, supplemented with qualitative insights from South African stakeholders. The findings highlight the structural issues within South Africa’s seafarer development programme and propose a strategic management framework to improve the placement and competitiveness of South African seafarers in the global maritime industry.

Discoursing Chinese Maritime Law’s structure and reform

Abstract China’s role in the international maritime transport industry is undeniably growing: the country has become the second-largest ship-owning nation, its maritime ports are ranked among the top globally, and its national maritime transport company, COSCO Group, is ranked 4th among major shipping companies. However, its current legal framework is behind the commercial practices of the maritime transport industry and its operators. With both the evolution of China’s position on the global stage and the emergence of new judicial maritime practices, a revision was inevitable, particularly as China aims to build itself into a maritime power. Although the revision of the Maritime Law was included in the 13th National People’s Congress agenda for the period from 2018 to 2023, the revised Law has not yet been promulgated but is expected in near future. While the reform project focuses solely on the Chinese Maritime Law, China’s new ambitions could turn this moment into an opportunity to overhaul and rethink the role of Chinese maritime law in the current global context. Whether by modernizing its maritime law while maintaining its existing structure, or by rethinking its entire approach, China should consider the legal experience of current maritime powers, such as France, which could serve as a valuable source of inspiration for Chinese legislature in the future.

Waste Heat Utilization in Marine Energy Systems for Enhanced Efficiency

The maritime industry, central to global trade, faces critical challenges related to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability due to significant energy loss from waste heat in marine engines. This review investigates the potential of waste heat recovery (WHR) technologies to enhance operational efficiency and reduce emissions in marine systems. By analyzing major WHR methods, such as heat exchangers, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems, thermoelectric generators, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems, this work highlights the specific advantages, limitations, and practical considerations of each approach. Unique to this review is an examination of WHR performance in confined marine spaces and compatibility with existing ship components, providing essential insights for practical implementation. Findings emphasize WHR as a viable strategy to reduce fuel consumption and meet environmental regulations, contributing to a more sustainable maritime industry.