Just-in-Time Ship Operations Can Cut Emissions

Reducing the amount of time ships spend waiting outside port and at anchor could significantly reduce ship emissions, according to studies carried out by members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) GloMEEP Global Industry Alliance (GIA).

Ships can spend hours or days waiting at anchor outside ports, but providing ships with regular updates about the availability of berths, especially in the last twelve hours prior to port arrival, can support significant reductions in ship and port emissions.

Implementing “Just-In-Time” ship operations means ships receive information in advance so they can time their arrival at the berth. This can also allow ships to slow down, providing further reduction in the carbon footprint of shipping as well as saving fuel costs.

The GIA is looking into the operational and contractual barriers to implementing Just-In-Time operations in order to identify measures that could be taken by all stakeholders (including ships, port authorities, terminal operators, and others) to make Just-In-Time ship operations a global reality.

A new GIA video explaining the Just-In-Time concept was shown at IMO Headquarters, during a presentation to delegates on the sidelines of the IMO Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (15-19 October). The video can be viewed here. Presentations on Just-In-Time and barriers to its implementation can be found here.

The GIA is a public-private partnership initiative of the IMO under the framework of the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloMEEP Project. It brings together maritime industry leaders to support an energy efficient and low carbon maritime transport system.

Leading shipowners and operators, classification societies, engine and technology builders and suppliers, big data providers, oil companies and ports have joined hands under the GIA to collectively identify and develop innovative solutions to address common barriers to the uptake and implementation of energy efficiency technologies and operational measures.