Maritime Sector Research Articles

Does trade protection undercut the green efficiency of the marine economy? A case study

The development of the marine economy is closely related to trade openness. But does trade openness promote sustainable development of the marine economy? To understand the impact of trade openness on marine economy sustainable, this study examines the impact of trade openness on the green efficiency of marine economy. To this end, the green efficiency of the marine economy of 11 coastal provincial regions of China is measured by the undesired super-efficiency SBM technique, to examine the impact of trade openness on green efficiency of marine economy using a panel vector autoregressive technique from a perspective of North-South regional differences. The results show (i) the overall green efficiency of marine economy in China’s coastal areas needs to be improved, and a spatial distribution pattern is weak in the north and strong in the south; (ii) trade openness emerges as a positive factor contributing to the green efficiency of marine economy. It is evident that enhancing the level of trade openness is a pivotal pathway for promoting environmentally sustainable development in the maritime sector. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the stimulatory effect of trade openness exhibits significant regional disparities, with its impact being notably stronger in the southern coastal areas compared to the northern ones; (iii) the development level of the marine economy and the structure of the marine industry exert negative influences on the green efficiency of marine economy; (iv) bidirectional causal relationships are observed between the green efficiency of marine economy and three crucial variables, namely, trade openness, marine economic development level, and marine industry structure. In light of the aforementioned results, this study adopts a regional disparity perspective to offer practical recommendations for advancing the green development of marine economies in emerging nations such as China.

Joint optimization of ship speed and trim based on machine learning method under consideration of load

The maritime sector has diligently endeavored to mitigate fuel consumption to curtail emissions and expenditures within the sustainable development framework. To comprehensively analyze ships’ fuel consumption, considering the combined influence of multiple factors, we develop an integrated optimization approach encompassing speed, trim, and speed–trim adjustments under different loading conditions. Firstly, we employ the fuel consumption prediction models established before, conduct a detailed analysis of the ship’s route in distinct segments, and formulate optimization models by scrutinizing the ship’s actual voyage. Secondly, we conducted single-parameter optimization for speed and trim to achieve the minimum fuel consumption for the entire route. We also implemented a joint optimization approach for simultaneously optimizing speed and trim to enhance fuel efficiency further. Lastly, we applied a smoothing method to the model’s prediction results to solve the step problem; and compared the optimization results before and after smoothing to assess the approach’s effectiveness. The results show that the joint optimization in the ballast condition yielded fuel consumption savings of 12.30% and 11.70% before and after smoothing, respectively; The fuel savings achieved under full load conditions were 10.18% and 9.47%. Demonstrate that joint optimization can overcome the limitations of single parameter optimization and enhance the fuel-saving rate.

Digital tools and challenges in human resource development and its potential within the maritime sector through bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT The maritime industry, a cornerstone of global trade and commerce, is currently undergoing a significant transformation, primarily driven by technological advancements. Human resource development (HRD) in maritime industry has become a focal point, aimed at improving operational efficiency, safety, and competitiveness. This research paper conducts an in-depth examination of digital tools and its challenges in the context of maritime HRD through bibliometric analysis. The findings indicate the presence of a variety of digital technologies, such as e-learning platforms (ELP), learning management systems (LMS), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), gamification, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Nevertheless, the maritime sector may encounter a range of obstacles including issues related to security concerns, skill gaps, strategic planning, change management, budget constraints, and regulatory compliance. To effectively address these difficulties, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive strategy that includes many components such as cybersecurity measures, efforts for talent development, strategic alignment, change management techniques, budgetary restraint, and legal scrutiny. The findings of this study have significant consequences for the maritime sector, governments, and the academic community. It is recommended that maritime sector can use digitization as a fundamental component of their competitiveness and safety measures.

"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.

Interaction between COLREG-compliant collision avoidance systems in a multiple MASS scenario

The transportation systems are heading towards increasing autonomy in all domains, and the maritime field makes no exception. The International Maritime Organization has been working on releasing a regulatory framework for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) to keep pace with the technological developments in the field. Autonomous shipping forces the researcher and the designers to face a wide range of scientific challenges, such as navigation decision support systems, collision avoidance algorithms, path planning, navigation and control, sensor data processing and fusion, remote control, and communication, with the final intent of achieving a fully integrated and autonomous worldwide maritime transportation system, where a human-less collaborative conflict resolution could potentially retire the COLREGs. However, the maritime sector will first face a transition period where traditional ships will share the seas and interact with heterogeneous MASS with various autonomous capabilities featuring different and probably incompatible communication protocols. In such a scenario, the COLREGs will still play a primary role in helping the collision avoidance systems resolve conflicts and limiting the degrees of freedom. This paper aims to study the interaction among multiple vessels with autonomous collision avoidance capabilities operating in a close navigation scenario. The ships operate according to a COLREG-compliant collision avoidance algorithm. The paper relies on numerical simulation to systematically investigate different scenarios in which autonomous vessels operate and interact in the presence of fixed obstacles. Results are presented and critically discussed.

Developing sustainable shipping and maritime transport: Multi-criteria analysis between emission abatement methods

Annual emissions from maritime transport are contributing to the acceleration of global climate change and deteriorating local air quality. Shipowners need information on current and new emission reduction solutions to compare cost-effectiveness and environmental impact. However, emissions reduction in the maritime sector is a complex issue that should also consider the environmental impacts during fuel production and the full impact of different options during use. In this study, different fuel options and emission reduction methods are compared to rank the overall sustainability of alternatives. The overall sustainability assessment is based on the economic and environmental indexes generated, weighted, and aggregated. The results show that the sustainability index of LNG is often the best of the options compared. The difference in fuel prices determines much of the difference in economic performance between fuels. The results emphasize the importance of including several criteria when comparing more sustainable alternatives in shipping.

Biofuels and Electrofuels as Alternative Green Fuels for Marine Applications: A Review

Abstract The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has imposed strict regulations to limit marine emissions because the maritime sector is expanding around the world, producing large amounts of emissions that are harmful to the atmosphere. Green alternative fuels, such as biofuels derived from biomass and electrofuels derived from syngas sources, play critical roles in meeting IMO requirements for clean energy with zero emissions. This study presents a brief review of two types of green fuels: 1) the production of biofuels from biomass sources by using various methods, such as the gasification process and the pyrolysis process, as well as the effectiveness of adding a variety of catalysts, and 2) electrofuels as a new method to oppose global warming by employing various carbon capture strategies and renewable hydrogen production based on water electrolysis. Following that, the significant effect of using these green fuels in marine applications is discussed. Overall, the primary goal of this article is to provide data for researchers and industrialists interested in biofuels and electrofuels as promising alternatives to fossil fuels. A large portion of the existing literature published in highly regarded journals, including the most recently published reports, is analyzed.

Electrification of fishing vessels and their integration into isolated energy systems with a high share of renewables

Decarbonization is among the most important research topics in the maritime sector, where different technical and operational measures are being examined to enhance the sustainability of marine operations. Electrification of fishing vessels stands out as a solution towards reducing emissions and operating costs. However, sustainable decarbonization of fishing vessels requires a high share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the power sector. It is also challenging to achieve the sustainable decarbonization of fishing vessels operating in an isolated energy system (IES) in remote areas. The novelty of this study is to demonstrate the opportunities arising from the nexus between fully electric fishing vessels and photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the IES of an island. The study highlights the economic and environmental benefits of integrating all-electric fishing vessels in the IES with 100% RES. The energy modelling of the IES was simulated in the EnergyPLAN. The paper confirms that charging battery-powered electric fishing vessels in the fishing port can reduce the critical excess of electricity production (CEEP), operating IES costs, and the emissions of CO2. The presented mathematical model is applicable to other ship types and renewable-based IESs if the input data required for such simulations are known.

A Review of On-Board Carbon Capture and Storage Techniques: Solutions to the 2030 IMO Regulations

The maritime sector is among the most polluting industrial sectors in the world. To oppose this and following the global trend towards carbon neutrality, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) introduced the objective to reduce the CO2 emission of vessels by the year 2030 of 40% and at the same time the European Union will introduce the maritime sector into the ETS system. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the emissions of the working vessels, and this can be accomplished through the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). There are many possible CCS technologies that can be applied to vessels: the one that has already been studied the most is the ammine scrubbing of the exhaust gasses. In parallel, other technologies have been proposed to reduce volume and energy needs, which are the Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFCs), membrane technologies, fixed bed absorption processes and limestone. The review shows how, depending on the used vessel type, the technology to be used may vary, and proposes some preferential options for different applications. The obtained results can be of relevant importance in the present context of energy transition promoting immediate retrofitting to respond to the urgent request for intervention.

Exploring the Carbon Abatement Strategies in Shipping Using System Dynamics Approach

Amid growing global concerns about climate change and its environmental impact, the maritime sector is under increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions. This study presents a system dynamics model that predicts and simulates vessel carbon emissions, considering different scenarios such as the implementation of carbon levies and the use of alternative marine fuels. The research focuses on the Pacific route, a key international container route, as a practical case study to simulate ship emissions along the Shanghai-Los Angeles container route under various emission reduction measures. Through a comparative analysis of different policy combinations, the findings demonstrate the effectiveness of carbon taxation and the adoption of diverse fuels in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from ships. Furthermore, the combination of these policies proves to be more effective in reducing emissions than implementing them individually. These results provide valuable insights for policymakers, industry professionals, and researchers working towards achieving low-carbon transitions in the shipping sector.

Can hydrogen storage in metal hydrides be economically competitive with compressed and liquid hydrogen storage? A techno-economical perspective for the maritime sector

The aim of this work is to evaluate if metal hydride hydrogen storage tanks are a competitive alternative for onboard hydrogen storage in the maritime sector, when compared to compressed gas and liquid hydrogen storage. This is done by modelling different hydrogen supply and onboard storage scenarios and evaluating their levelized cost of hydrogen variables. The levelized cost of hydrogen for each case is calculated considering the main components that are required for the refueling infrastructure and adding up the costs of hydrogen production, compression, transport, onshore storage, dispensing, and the cost of the onboard tanks when known. The results show that the simpler refueling needs of metal hydride-based onboard tanks result in a significant cost reduction of the hydrogen handling equipment. This provides a substantial leeway for the investment costs of metal hydride-based storage, which, depending on the scenario, can be between 3400 - 7300 EUR/kgH2 while remaining competitive with compressed hydrogen storage.

Human Factors Issues and Trends in Offshore Operational Environments

What is the evolving role of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) practitioners in the design of increasingly automated offshore and maritime work environments? This panel will highlight technological trends transforming operational paradigms in the maritime sector, specifically, offshore energy production and shipping, in relation to HF/E and work environment design. The panel will be a discussion hosted by the Environmental Design Technical Group in collaboration with the Safety Technical Group and the Society of Petroleum Engineers Human Factors Technical Section. Panelists include three experts from industry and academia. Discussion participants will include HFES attendees in the audience including industry practitioners, students, and members from academia and government agencies. The discussion will begin with brief presentations by each panelist on the state-of-the-science of HF/E practice in offshore operational environments and emerging trends related to automation, remote supervisory control and related HF/E challenges, and followed by a moderated question and answer forum.

KEGIATAN SOSIALISASI “GEMAR MAKAN IKAN” DAN PENGENALAN PRODUK PERIKANAN PADA ANAK USIA DINI, DESA PEMUTERAN, KECAMATAN GEROKGAK, BALI

Indonesia as a maritime country has an abundance of fish diversity. Although fish production is abundant, the level of fish consumption is declining. Fish is a source of high quality protein. Protein in fish has a complete composition and amount of essential amino acids. The fisheries and maritime sector supports the movement program to popularize eating fish (Gemarikan) designed by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to become a national movement. This activity aims to increase knowledge and understanding as well as preventive action on the importance of the benefits of eating fish from an early age because of the many nutrients found in fish which are very useful for the growth and intelligence of children's brains and bone growth. This service activity is carried out using the counseling method and the introduction of fishery products. There are several stages in this activity starting from preparation, this stage is in the form of coordination regarding the place where the presentation of the material will be carried out, and operational preparation in the form of an application for permission to carry out socialization activities. Making rambutan shrimp products, presenting materials and distributing products.

Gender Equality Culture Measuring Attitudes Towards Gender Equality in the Transport Sector

The transport industry is dominated by men. Globally, woman constitute only a few per cent of those working on board ships. Calculating the distribution of gender, wages, and positions provides an insufficient basis from which to address this imbalance; rather, we need to study the attitudes and norms that constitute “gender equality culture”. These qualitative aspects emphasize men’s and women’s life conditions, values, and ideals that affect their opportunities to exert influence in the workplace and society. They influence research and industry and must be highlighted to put gender equality high on the agenda. Experience from safety culture research was used together with a literature review to identify indicators and develop questions for a survey tool to measure and evaluate gender equality culture. This survey has been tested in the maritime sector by 546 employees in the Swedish Maritime Administration responsible for matters such as fairway maintenance, pilotage, and road ferries. The results indicated an overall strong equality culture that nevertheless had some weak areas. Significant differences were found, with men believing to a greater extent than women that the workplace was sufficiently equal and that no one was excluded because of gender. Women believed to a greater extent than men that they had better knowledge of gender equality goals and strategy and they perceived that there was more talk about how to increase gender equality. The results indicated potential to identify strengths and weaknesses as a basis for activities and learning in order to achieve an improved equality culture.

Modelling of Maritime Cyber Security Education and Training

The existence of sophisticated and integrated cyberspace aboard ships with information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) makes cybersecurity a crucial concern for the maritime sector. The marine sector has benefited greatly from information and communication technologies, but they have also made ship systems and maritime infrastructure more susceptible to cyberattacks. Cyberattacks on ships have the potential to result in fatalities, severe financial losses, environmental damage, and other negative effects. A model course or specification for maritime cyber security education and training through the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978 has not yet been published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), despite the fact that MSC.428 mandates cyber security risk management in the safety management system on ships to combat cyber-attacks and improve cyber resistance in maritime environments. The Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) technique is used in this work to offer a model for a curriculum for cyber security in the Maritime Education and Training (MET) system. It is possible to identify each competency’s priority in the MET system’s cyber security curriculum by comparing the relative weights assigned to each one. The results of the research provide the Met Institutions with the ability to be proactive and include cyber security knowledge and abilities into proposed curricula.

Status and perspectives of blue economy sectors across the Macaronesian archipelagos

The global economy is increasingly focusing on the Oceans to meet its needs, for which maritime spatial planning is being fostered to promote this is done sustainably. Thus, assessing the current state and future development trends of the maritime sectors is key to evaluating the performance of the planning process. This is the aim of this study, in which the main maritime sectors related to the blue economy present in the archipelagos of the European Macaronesia Sea Basin, i.e. the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain), were identified and studied. The following maritime sectors were analysed: fisheries, marine aquaculture, marine biotechnology, coastal and maritime tourism, maritime transport, ship repair and maintenance, extraction of aggregates, deep-sea mining, offshore oil and gas, renewable ocean energies, and desalination. As part of the PLASMAR project, partners undertook in 2017–19 a literature review gathering scientific papers, official statistics and reports, which were complemented by interviews with experts from the economic sectors and public administration departments. Results show that while some maritime sectors are well established, others are emerging sectors with varying long-term growth potential. Besides, development patterns vary across the archipelagos. This study represents the first effort in the Macaronesia Sea Basin to set the basis of the current and future development conditions of the blue economy in applicability to maritime spatial planning processes at a regional level. The future post-pandemic context will provide a unique opportunity to promote the blue economy sectors and activities through the support provided by the EU Green Deal and Recovery and Resilience Plans, as well as with the actions envisioned under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). The European Macaronesia example –given its wide maritime territory, commitment, and capacities in terms of expertise and networking– presents a great potential to act as a good practice to extrapolate the new approach for a sustainable blue economy to other similar geographical settings such as island regions/states.

Peluang dan Tantangan Indonesia Menuju Poros Maritim Dunia: Perspektif Politik Internasional

Indonesia has various benefits as a world maritime axis such as a large economic potential because Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, Indonesia has great economic potential in the maritime sector, including in the fields of fisheries, shipping and marine tourism. As the world's maritime axis, Indonesia must strengthen national security and defense as an archipelagic country, Indonesia has vast territorial waters, which need to be guarded against various threats, such as illegal fishing, ship theft, and terrorist activities at sea. The purpose of this research is to explain the world's maritime axis in an international political perspective. The research method used is qualitative research. The results of this study are that Indonesia has a very big opportunity to make itself the world's maritime axis. However, on the other hand, there are also several challenges that need to be overcome in developing Indonesia's maritime sector. Opportunities that exist include enormous maritime potential, strategic geographical position, the existence of international shipping lanes, and attractive maritime tourism potential. While the challenges faced are the lack of adequate infrastructure and technology, limited competent human resources, maritime security issues, and the lack of appropriate policies in regulating the maritime sector.

Financial performance-based assessment of companies’ competitiveness: Evidence from the Norwegian Shipbuilding Industry

The Norwegian maritime industry is at the forefront of green technology development, with shipyards playing a crucial role in testing, verification, and development. However, the industry faces challenges such as high personal costs, increasing competition from abroad, and cyclical market trends. This study aims to assess financial performance as indicator of firm-level competitiveness based on a set of 12 financial measures and test the hypothesis of the positive impact of portfolio diversification on shipyards’ competitiveness.The analysis utilizes data from four large construction yards and four medium-sized construction, repair, and maintenance yards in the Møre region. The methodology involves constructing a Shipyard Competitiveness Index with sub-indices for liquidity, profitability, solvency, and efficiency. Regression analysis is conducted to investigate the impact of ship variety, as a diversification parameter, on the competitiveness level.The obtained results reveal that during the analyzed period (2009–2020), companies in the group of large shipyards had better financial performance until 2017, while on the contrary, the second group of shipyards in the same period showed an increase in their competitiveness index. Moreover, the findings proved the presence of the positive relationship between diversification of portfolio and competitiveness index.This study contributes valuable insights for the Norwegian shipbuilding industry, highlighting the importance of financial performance assessment in measuring competitiveness. The study provides a foundation for future discussions on fostering sustainable growth and innovation within the maritime sector.

Glass Ceiling Paradox and Women’s Career Progression: A Case of Female Employees in Colombo Port, Sri Lanka

Despite the increasing participation of women in the workforce, their representation in decision-making positions on the corporate ladder has been slow and remains a worldwide concern. One of the primary reasons behind this concern has been identified in the literature as the theory of the ‘Glass Ceiling’. On the other hand, with such enormous strategic potential, more involvement and contribution of women in all economic sectors, particularly the maritime and ports industry in Sri Lanka is much needed. However, Sri Lanka has a lower rate of women's participation in the maritime sector compared to other countries in the world which highlight the need for further investigation into this issue. Therefore, the current research aimed to explore the effect of the Glass Ceiling theory on Women's Career Progression in the Sri Lankan port sector. The study used a quantitative approach and surveyed 108 executive-level female employees in Port of Colombo using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS. The results revealed that Individual, Family, and Organizational factors negatively impacted Women's Career Progression, while Cultural factors had a positive impact. Furthermore, the study found that the Glass Ceiling has a 77.8 percent influence on the Women Career Progression among executive-level female employees working under the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. These findings highlight the need of addressing Individual, Family, Organizational, and Cultural factors to promote female upward mobility in the maritime and port industry in Sri Lanka.

Advancing sustainability in the maritime sector: energy design and optimization of large ships through information modelling and dynamic simulation

This paper deals with a new energy design approach for ships to reduce the fuel consumption and the related environmental impact. The proposed method is based on the application of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) to Building Energy Modeling (BEM) technique. Specifically, by a BIM model of the ship a 3D physics-based model (BEM) can be suitably created. Then, by BEM the ship energy performance is simulated under real and dynamic operating conditions. By the presented method the whole design-to-delivery process of the ship can be simplified and speeded up with respect to traditional approaches, without losing reliability. As an example, HVAC systems design is easier through BIM since a high number of thermal zones can be effectively handled. Due to BEM, also the optimal design for exploiting waste heat recoveries of on-board combustion engines is easier and faster.To show the capability of the proposed approach a suitable case study was developed. Basically, it concerns the energy performance analysis of the Allure of the Seas, a 6000-passenger cruise ship operating in the Caribbean Sea. Two different scenarios for recovering the waste heat of the ship diesel generators are investigated. Simulation results highlight that significant primary energy saving can be obtained by optimizing the strategy to recover the available thermal energies (up to 600 MWh per trip), with a remarkable amount of avoided pollutant emissions (58, 0.06, 4.0, 0.2, 2.0 kg/km of CO2, PM2.5, NOx, HC, SOx, respectively).The presented new approach can be easily adopted to design and optimize the energy system of any new or existing ships, with the twofold aim to achieve economic savings and to fulfil environmental sustainability standards.