Impacts of Speed Reductions on Vessel-Based Emissions for International Shipping

Greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping are an increasing concern for those interested in mitigating global climate change. Reducing vessel speed represents one operational option for decreasing such emissions. In this paper, we evaluate whether speed reduction can be a potentially cost-effective measure for ships calling on U.S. ports. The paper applies fundamental equations relating speed, energy consumption, and cost to evaluate speed reduction impacts on a select set of route and vessel data. We estimate that total CO2 emissions from containerships calling on U.S. ports were ~35 million metric tons CO2 in 2002, and calculate CO2 reductions at various speed reductions from this baseline. We explore the relationship between fuel price and cost minimizing speed; we find that economically optimal speed reductions at a price signal equivalent to between $40 and $220 per ton CO2 can avoid between 5% and 40% of CO2 emissions to move the same cargo volumes. The effective price signals in dollars per ton carbon dioxide are compared with policy proposals for carbon taxes, fees, and trading prices. We discuss the potential for policy-based action that may limit or otherwise affect the choice of ship speed through regulatory mandate or economic incentive.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Corbett Jr, James J
  • Wang, Haifeng
  • Winebrake, James J
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 88th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2009-1-11 to 2009-1-15
• Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 26p
• Monograph Title: TRB 88th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate change; Cost effectiveness; Greenhouse gases; International trade; Ocean shipping; Water transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Speed reduction
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01122504
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 09-3742
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 23 2009 7:41AM