Green Shipping: Why Shipping Software Integration is Good for the Environment

Low market demand and increasing fuel prices have been hot topics in the maritime industry over the past few years. Because of this, interest in reducing logistics expenses has also become a top priority as shipping companies look toward building higher capacity ships with more fuel efficient engines. Additionally, modern ships, ports, and terminals are now equipped with high-end technologies and various types of shipping agency software, all designed to automate and streamline shipping operations.

But aside from financial benefits, another reason shipping companies push for more efficient maritime trade is the impact of shipping inefficiency, particularly of high fuel consumption on the environment. By plain logic, more energy consumed means greater Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission from ships. This is very alarming if we consider the number of vessels crossing our oceans and the amount of fuel they burn on a daily basis. Fortunately, emission problems can be reduced using already existing technologies including various types of marine software solutions.

There are two ways shipping companies reduce fuel consumption. First is through use of technical /design based measures such as more efficient engines and propulsion systems, improved hull design, and larger ships. Second is through implementing operational measures such as speed management, voyage calculation and optimization, etc. Operational measures can be best implemented with use of integrated shipping software solutions designed to automate various shipping tasks and allow operators to manage their logistics process more effectively.

For example, voyage calculation software can be used to calculate full load, voyage costs, distance travelled, estimated time of arrival, and fuel consumption in relation to external factors such as weather and sea conditions. Using these data, vessel operators can then manage vessel speed to achieve highest efficiency. They can easily lower fuel consumption by reducing vessel speed which results in lower carbon dioxide emission while ensuring that ships arrive at their destinations on time. In addition, liner shipping software reduce paperwork by digitizing documents making the entire logistics operation more environment friendly.