Browsing by Subject "Shipping"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Open Access
Cold-Ironing as a Cost-Effective Tool for Improving Sustainability in the Shipping Industry
(2012-04-20) Weiner, Paul-Harvey
The marine transportation sector stands as a major component of the global economy, delivering goods from major producing markets in Asia and the Pacific region to major consumer markets in Europe and North America. The United States Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration recorded over a billion tons of foreign trade through U.S. ports in 2009. Given the economic importance of this sector, its inclusion in future environmental remediation regimes is key. But any improvement in the environmental performance of shipping must take into account the fact that requirements that make shipping more expensive relative to other forms of transport would likely result in an overall negative environmental outcome. This master’s project investigates whether or not cold-ironing, a method by which ships use shore-side electric power rather than auxiliary engines while in port, can improve environmental performance in a cost-effective manner. The analysis involved constructing a model that compared operational costs under business-as-usual conditions with operational costs following the deployment of cold-ironing. A deterministic analysis was first undertaken to explore how historic movements in fuel and electricity prices affected the magnitude of savings. This was followed by a stochastic analysis using a monte carlo simulation to explore how variations in fuel prices, electricity prices, and ship operating characteristics affected the expected level of savings across an entire fleet. The results demonstrated that cold-ironing could deliver substantial savings, dependent on the relative magnitudes of fuel and electricity prices. Overall, smaller ships did not experience savings as they could not recoup the costs of the cold-ironing retrofit. A sensitivity analysis showed that changing operational characteristics, such as the number of engines in operation on a ship, had a large impact on savings. Governments and port authorities need to look where their interests in environmental improvement align with those of ship operators that can benefit economically from the use of cold-ironing to aid in the deployment of the shore-side infrastructure necessary to expand the use of this tool.
Open Access
Innovation in the Blue Economy: Opportunities in Shipping, Aquaculture, and Offshore Wind for Climate Change Mitigation
(2021-04-30) Riddick, Sage; Swanson, Megan; Snodgrass, Lisa
As the world’s population continues to grow, increasing pressure will be placed on the ocean’s valuable resources. By 2030, nearly two-thirds of the fish on our plates will be farmed at sea; by 2040, global offshore wind capacity is projected to increase fifteen-fold; and by 2050, seaborne trade will have nearly quadrupled. An aspiration to balance sustainable economic growth, improved living standards, and ecosystem conservation has given rise to the term “blue economy” and an increased interest in the emerging bluetech area. We conducted semi-structured interviews with leaders in bluetech and experts in the shipping, aquaculture, and offshore wind industries. We identified the main risks that climate change poses to these industries and analyzed current and future opportunities in technology and innovation to decarbonize these industries. From this analysis, we developed the following takeaways: 1) Cross-sector partnerships allow companies to capitalize on advancements made in each individual industry, and should be pursued; 2) Digitization is a key element of improving efficiencies within all three sectors, and companies should look to bluetech hubs for promising digital innovations; 3) Utilizing economies of scale can drive down costs and reduce emissions; 4) All three sectors recognize that they have a role in increasing social equity and inclusion but so far have been slow to act toward that goal.
Open Access
Practical Approaches for Reducing Ocean Noise: Opportunities using systemic evidence synthesis, multi-sectoral dialogues, and ‘Smart Shipping’ technology to protect marine mammals from anthropogenically produced sound
(2022-04-22) Lee, Juliette
This Master’s Project presents data-informed strategies to minimize anthropogenic ocean noise. With the blue acceleration—the driver of human development through the use of ocean resources—we can mitigate impacts of ocean noise using technology and multi-sectoral collaboration. Anthropogenic ocean noise can be generated by offshore renewable energy development, shipping, and geophysical exploration, three key components of the blue economy. Anthropogenic ocean noise from these point sources threatens marine mammals throughout their life functions, including communication, feeding, and defense. Since the production and reception of sound is centrally important to these species, noise pollution can lead to significant consequences. Congruent with the mission of the Global Alliance for Managing Ocean Noise (GAMeON), three different approaches are presented that explore ways to proactively identify emerging concerns and solutions, to create inclusive multi-sectoral dialogues, and to map existing and emerging technologies to solve the pressing ocean challenge of human produced noise. These three approaches include evidence synthesis, multi-sectoral dialogues, and ‘smart shipping’ geospatial technology.