Benefits of Electric Ships
1. Efficiency:
Ninety percent of all trade worldwide is carried by ships. Recent estimates show that moving goods by ocean container can be 17 times more fuel-efficient than transporting the same goods by air, and 10 times more efficient than transporting goods by road.
Fuel consumption by a containership is mostly a function of ship size and cruising speed, which follows an exponential function above 14 knots. While shipping lines would prefer consuming the least amount of fuel by adopting lower speeds, this advantage must be mitigated with longer shipping times as well as assigning more ships on a pendulum service to maintain the same port call frequency. The main ship speed classes are:
Fuel consumption by a containership is mostly a function of ship size and cruising speed, which follows an exponential function above 14 knots. While shipping lines would prefer consuming the least amount of fuel by adopting lower speeds, this advantage must be mitigated with longer shipping times as well as assigning more ships on a pendulum service to maintain the same port call frequency. The main ship speed classes are:
- Normal (20-25 knots; 37.0 – 46.3 km/hr). Represents the optimal cruising speed a containership and its engine have been designed to travel at. It also reflects the hydrodynamic limits of the hull to perform within acceptable fuel consumption levels. Most containerships are designed to travel at speeds around 24 knots.
- Slow steaming (18-20 knots; 33.3 – 37.0 km/hr). Running ship engines below capacity to save fuel consumption, but at the expense a additional travel time, particularly over long distances (compounding effect). This is likely to become the dominant operational speed as more than 50% of the global container shipping capacity was operating under such conditions as of 2011.
- Extra slow steaming (15-18 knots; 27.8 – 33.3 km/hr). Also known as super slow steaming or economical speed. A substantial decline in speed for the purpose of achieving a minimal level of fuel consumption while still maintaining a commercial service. Can be applied on specific short distance routes.
- Minimal cost (12-15 knots; 22.2 – 27.8 km/hr). The lowest speed technically possible, since lower speeds do not lead to any significant additional fuel economy. The level of service is however commercially unacceptable, so it is unlikely that maritime shipping companies would adopt such speeds.
2. Costs:
Fuel costs represent as much as 50-60% of total ship operating costs, depending on the type of ship and service. Ocean carriers are required to recover these costs to maintain levels of service, meaning the price of shipping goods will continue to face upward pressures.
Starting Jan. 1, 2020 the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation will go into effect. This rule mandates that the sulfur content of fuel oil used by ships operating outside designated emission control areas does not to exceed 0.5%, compared to 3.5% now. This regulation will increase fuel cost for most ships, with up to 50%.
Operational costs will only continue to increase with rising fuel costs.
Starting Jan. 1, 2020 the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation will go into effect. This rule mandates that the sulfur content of fuel oil used by ships operating outside designated emission control areas does not to exceed 0.5%, compared to 3.5% now. This regulation will increase fuel cost for most ships, with up to 50%.
Operational costs will only continue to increase with rising fuel costs.
3. Pollution:
Just one of the world’s largest container ships can emit about as much pollution as 50 million cars. Further, the 15 largest ships in the world emit as much nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide as the world’s 760 million cars.
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- Fast: No need to slow down to save fuel.
- Efficient:
1) Electric motors are simpler, cheaper to build, and cheaper to maintain.
2) Less weight: Ships do not need to carry fuel. Less weight and more space for cargo.
3) Infinite Range - Safe: Safer than batteries or burning fuels.
Sources:
"Fuel Cost for Ships to Increase up to 50% in Only 200 Days from Now", Hellenic Shipping News, Last Modified June 21, 2019, https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/fuel-cost-for-ships-to-increase-up-to-50-in-only-200-days-from-now/
Mike King, "Shippers Brace for Sharp Rise in Ocean Fuel Costs as IMO 2020 Looms", American Shipper, Last Modified Nov 3, 2019, https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-brace-for-sharp-rise-in-ocean-fuel-costs-as-imo-2020-looms
Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Claude Comtois, Brian Slack, "Fuel Consumption by Containership Size and Speed", The Geography of Transport Systems, Accessed Nov 22, 2019, https://transportgeography.org/?page_id=5955
Elizabeth Stratiotis, "Fuel Costs in Ocean Shipping", More Than Shipping, Last Modified Jan 22, 2018, https://www.morethanshipping.com/fuel-costs-ocean-shipping/
Mike King, "Shippers Brace for Sharp Rise in Ocean Fuel Costs as IMO 2020 Looms", American Shipper, Last Modified Nov 3, 2019, https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-brace-for-sharp-rise-in-ocean-fuel-costs-as-imo-2020-looms
Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Claude Comtois, Brian Slack, "Fuel Consumption by Containership Size and Speed", The Geography of Transport Systems, Accessed Nov 22, 2019, https://transportgeography.org/?page_id=5955
Elizabeth Stratiotis, "Fuel Costs in Ocean Shipping", More Than Shipping, Last Modified Jan 22, 2018, https://www.morethanshipping.com/fuel-costs-ocean-shipping/