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In this paper, an analysis of the development of Deep Sea Shipping (DSS) and Short Sea Shipping (SSS) container routes calling at Italian ports, is carried out. Data about DSS routes have been collected in the years: 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2019, while data about SSS services have been collected in 2010 and 2018. Italian ports have been classified as follows: Ligurian multi-port gateway cluster, formed by Leghorn, La Spezia, Genoa, Savona/Vado Ligure; Northern Adriatic multi-port gateway cluster, made up of Ancona, Ravenna, Venice and Trieste; Campanian multi-port gateway cluster, composed of Naples and Salerno; hub ports, i.e. Gioia Tauro, Cagliari (only until 2018) and Taranto (only until 2014). The most important gateway cluster, for both DSS and SSS services, is the Ligurian one, which includes Genoa, the major Italian container gateway port. Genoa has shown an almost constant increase in container traffic in the time period analyzed. Italian hub ports are also an important group, but they have registered a negative trend in the years under analysis. DSS routes, to Far East and the American Continent, usually call at the Ligurian ports and the hub port of Gioia Tauro. Northern Adriatic ports are crossed by only a few DSS routes, but they are crossed by a large number of SSS routes, especially feeder ones, with transshipment mainly in the hub ports of Gioia Tauro, Marsaxlokk, Piraeus and Port Said. The evolution of DSS services shows clearly the effects of naval gigantism phenomenon: the number of DSS services has decreased, but the total and, especially, the average DWT have increased. As regards SSS routes, also their frequencies have decreased, but their length and, in particular, the number of ports called, have increased: this choice is performed by container operators in order to increase the ships ’load factor’.

The research in this thesis is a viability study of a waterborne platooning concept called the Vessel Train (VT). This manuscript describes the VT characteristics. It explains how the VT’s advantages are reaped, as well as the VT’s challenges that need to be considered and dealt with. To assess the potential of the platooning concept an inland navigation and a short sea shipping case are studied. They elaborated upon detailed information on viable operating requirements for different vessel types and operating conditions. A general outlook regarding geographical application differences is considered by analysing the difference between European inland corridors, bridge interaction in urban areas and the global application potential.

The recently released data on the Short Sea Shipping in the EU seas has shown a stable trend in transportation growth. At the same time, the coaster fleet of the East Mediterranean and Black Sea regions (EMBSR) is of considerable age, and the increased freight rates enforce the new orders of multi-purpose ships. The objective of this paper is to analyse the main dimensions of dry cargo ships operating in the EMBSR in the range of 2,000 to 9,500 DWT. The data collected for already built ships is compared to the newly designed ones, accounting for the capital and operational expenditure and required freight rate. Recent investigations demonstrated that the new building of ships in the range of 2,000 to 9,500 DWT is possible to be done in the existing SME ship repair yards in the region. The study investigates the capacity of the shipbuilding industry in the EMBSR. Several conclusions considering the relationships of the deadweight and design governing parameters accounting for the existing production constraints of small and medium enterprises specialised in shipbuilding and repair are also presented.

RESUMEN: Esta investigación centra su estudio en un puerto nacional, donde la principal fuente de ingresos proviene del tráfico de cargas siderometalúrgicas, debido a la abundante existencia de empresas dedicadas al sector metalúrgico, que se sitúan en los alrededores del recinto portuario. En la localidad de Sagunto, a unos 20 kilómetros de distancia de la capital de Valencia, en las coordenadas de longitud 00º 13’ W y latitud 39º 39’ N, al sur del núcleo urbano, se encuentra el puerto de Sagunto, muy próximo a la desembocadura del Rio Palancia. Ha sido escogido este puerto y no otros más conocidos a nivel nacional, porque, es el puerto comercial más cercano al lugar de mi residencia, además de haber miembros de la familia del autor de esta investigación, que han desempeñado funciones para servir a la zona portuaria. El puerto de Sagunto abarca 220,58 hectáreas de superficie de flotación, repartida entre sus dos dársenas. La suma total de líneas de muelles para atraques comerciales es de 5.801 metros. Los calados portuarios oscilan entre los 4 y los 16 metros. Los principales buques que recibe el puerto son buques gaseros de gas natural licuado, buques tanque para el transporte de amoniaco, graneleros de cereales, abonos y minerales, buques portacontenedores, buques Ro-Ro y otros buques de carga polivalente, como, por ejemplo, para el embarque y transporte de las aspas de los generadores de viento. Los productos siderometalúrgicos, como las bobinas de acero o maquinaria, gas natural licuado, amoniaco, automóviles y otras mercancías convencionales como contenedores, son los tráficos principales del puerto de Sagunto. La Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia, durante el mes de junio del 2021, según incluye en sus memorias anuales, el puerto de Valencia, conteniendo El puerto siderúrgico de España, el puerto de Sagunto. 6 más superficie de flotación y de más importancia a nivel nacional que el puerto de Sagunto, se contabilizaron prácticamente el mismo tonelaje de cargas siderometalúrgicas en ambos puertos. De ahí, nació el interés y la curiosidad en realizar este estudio. A lo largo de la investigación se ha profundizado en los sectores portuarios relacionados con el ámbito de la navegación. Por tanto, se han escogido los servicios de practicaje, amarre, remolque y recogida de residuos como secciones fundamentales del estudio. ABSTRACT: This research focuses its study on a national port, where the main source of income comes from the traffic of iron and steel cargo, due to the abundant existence of companies dedicated to the metallurgical sector, which are located around the port area. In the town of Sagunto, about 20 kilometers away from the capital of Valencia, at the coordinates of longitude 00º 13 'W and latitude 39º 39' N, to the south of the urban nucleus, is the port of Sagunto, very close to the mouth of the Rio Palancia. This port has been chosen and not others better known at the national level, because it is the closest commercial port to my residence, in addition to having members of the family of the author of this research, who have performed functions to serve the port area. The port of Sagunto is made up of 220.58 hectares of floating surface, distributed between its two docks. The total sum of dock lines for commercial berths is 5,801 meters. The port drafts range between 4 and 16 meters. The main ships that the port receives are liquefied natural gas tankers, tankers for the transport of ammonia, grain, fertilizer and mineral bulk carriers, container ships, Ro-Ro ships and other multipurpose cargo ships, such as for the shipment and transportation of the blades of the wind generators. Iron and steel products, such as steel coils or machinery, liquefied natural gas, ammonia, automobiles and other conventional goods such as containers, are the main traffic at the port of Sagunto. The Port Authority of Valencia, during the month of June 2021, as included in its annual reports, the port of Valencia, containing more flotation surface and of more importance at the national level than the port of Sagunto, practically the same tonnage was recorded. of iron and steel loads in both ports. Hence, the interest and curiosity in conducting this study was born. El puerto siderúrgico de España, el puerto de Sagunto. 8 Throughout the investigation, the port sectors related to the field of navigation have been deepened. Therefore, pilotage, mooring, towing and waste collection services have been chosen as fundamental sections of the study. Grado en Ingeniería Náutica y Transporte Marítimo

Maritime transport facilitates trade with bioenergy feedstocks in the Baltic region. The study aims to provide guidance on efficient organisation of logistics at the port of loading for maritime transport of wood chips. The economic effects of using an intermediate terminal as opposed to direct delivery to port were studied, as well as the relationships between production capacity and storage capacity. Discrete-Event Simulation was used to analyse scenarios where a variable part of the volume is handled through the terminal. The total supply cost, including chipping, transportation, storage and handling at inland terminal and port, as well as loading of the ship, varied between €6.73 and 7.85 per MWh in the different scenarios. The volume passing through the terminal had a significant influence on total cost, showing a supply chain cost increase of €0.78 per m3 (approximately €4.67 per dry tonne) for material delivered through the terminal. The difference in storage cost between port and inland terminal determines whether the terminal volumes affect costs, which was shown by a sensitivity analysis. Even so, the terminal offers a possibility to manage uncertainty, both in production rates and in shipping date, and influences the supply network. The main advantage of using a simulation technique for planning production and logistic flows is the visualisation of risks and margins.

The competition between the various transport modes is characterized by the question of economic efficiency of transport services on the one hand and (transport) policy objectives on the other hand. A comparison shows that road freight transport dominates the terrestrial transport market, while the other transport modes in this segment generally rely on this due to their restrictions with regard to the provision of a widespread infrastructure. Despite of political prioritization and massive subsidies, the intended changes in modal split are not be achieved, due to significant changes in demand structures and their spatial distribution over the last years. By technological development the importance of road freight transport will significantly increase and also of River-sea and Short Sea Shipping, while rail freight transport and also freight transport on inland waterways will significantly lose market share.

In the early years, maritime education had been mainly focused on the vocational training of deck officers on board. However, as the maritime business evolved, a change in the maritime education curriculum started to be necessary. To align maritime programmes with the needs of maritime stakeholders, maritime studies became an interdisciplinary academic field. Today, MET institutions juggle to comply with the Standard Training and Certificate Watch keeping (STCW) Convention and Code. However, it is also important to ensure that core subjects do not fade out under the integration of these new courses. As the emphasis on creating dedicated knowledge arises, students should be encouraged to participate on the researches conducted by their own centres through new participatory forms of web-based communication.

This paper describes the challenges of the maritime supply chain compared to land transport and discusses the new digital initiatives to simplify the processes and enable a better plan for the entire supply chain. First, the background is outlined with an example of the extensive admin processes in maritime transport compared to road transport, followed by a case example presenting the processes of a booking. The case study concludes that the lack of integration is costly in terms of both admin resources, as well as lost capacity on some ships and missing capacity on others. Finally, the evolution of new digital initiatives are discussed, both in general and in terms of competing “alliances” as seen in the airline industry. The paper concludes that the information exchange in the maritime industry has moved drastically in the last 3 years and that one initiative, TradeLens, seems to have gained a position as maritime standard despite a problematic start with many competing initiatives.

Short Sea Shipping (SSS) is commonly defined as commercial waterborne transportation that does not transit an ocean. There is a strategic interest worldwide in ensuring the sustainability of SSS. It remains central to the comprehensive strategy for a clean, safe and efficient European transport system set out in the Commission’s 2001 White Paper, “European transport policy for 2010: time to decide”. Some of the main challenges identified include promoting reliability, quality and safety and removing unnecessary costs and delays at the ports. In this chapter, we review related literature on SSS and particularly the role of Port Collaborative Decision-Making (PortCDM) in boosting the efficiency of port operations and providing better decision support by assisting all those involved in the port call process to take more informed decisions. An analysis of recent port call statistics for the Port of Limassol, Cyprus, indicates that there is an opportunity to improve port call data sharing through applying the PortCDM concept.

Growing awareness of the environment and new regulations of the International Maritime Organization and the European Union are forcing ship-owners to reduce pollution. The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is one of the most promising options for achieving a reduction in pollution for inland shipping and short sea shipping. However, the infrastructure to facilitate the broad use of LNG is yet to be developed. We advance and analyze models that suggest LNG infrastructure development plans for refueling stations that support pipeline-to-ship and truck-to-ship bunkering, specifying locations, types, and capacities, and that take into account the characteristics of LNG, such as boil-off during storage and loading. We develop an effective primal heuristic, based on Lagrangian relaxation, for the solution of the models. We validate our approach by performing a computational study for the waterway network in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region in the West-European river network, including, among others, multi-year scenarios in which capacity expansion and reduction are possible.

The recent development of the Short Sea Shipping in the Black Sea region has shown that intermodal transportation will play an important role in the future. At the same time, the coaster fleet of the Black Sea and the East Mediterranean region is of considerable age, and the increased freight rates enforce new orders of ships. The present study analyses the prospects for sea transport of intermodal containers in the Black Sea. These include statistics for world container transport, and in the Black Sea Region, actual situation of East-West transport corridors, with focus on those crossing the Black Sea. The paper presents statistics for the main dimensions of containerships that visited the main Black Sea Ports during one month. Based on the results from the study, a proposal for project assignment of new ships for intermodal transportation in the Black Sea is defined.

Maritime autonomous surface ships provide new capabilities for transport systems design, and by that the potential to dramatically change ship logistics. Advantages of autonomous ships include operational flexibility with more and smaller ships, combined with new ship hull and superstructure designs, allowing more cargo to be transported at lower cost and reduced emissions. It is also easier to operate smaller ships with alternative energy sources such as batteries, and by that further reducing the emissions. However, the investment cost of an autonomous ship system is perceived to be higher compared with conventional ships. Combined with limited operational experience, this creates a challenging threshold for launching new projects. The purpose of this work is to lower this threshold by providing a better understanding for the analysis tools employed in new transport systems design. Structured analysis of the supply chain phases and tasks enables the involved stakeholders to evaluate the cost and benefits associated with the increased automation in a specific phase of the transport system. This will additionally form a basis for developing business models and priorities for gradual introduction of key enabling technologies through retrofitting of conventional ships or designing and building new smart ships. A scalable method for the systematic supply chain analysis of waterborne transport systems is introduced. The method is developed through a mapping and analysis of one inland waterways use-case and one short sea shipping use-case, and used as a basis for the systematic identification of all the supply chain phases and all tasks carried out in each phase of the transport system. A design process for autonomous ship systems consisting of the supply chain analysis, the task distribution and the cost benefit analysis is also presented. The effectiveness of this process in the design and incorporation of autonomous ship technologies in new transport systems solutions is demonstrated.

The paper aims to investigate short sea shipping services as a competitive, sustainable freight transport system which is able to respond to economic, social and environmental needs. An assessment methodology is proposed which considers an aggregate discrete choice model, simulating the split between the competitive transport alternatives in the Mediterranean basin. The proposed methodology was used to assess the potential of short sea shipping (SSS) and the net benefits deriving from lower external costs in the north-western Mediterranean basin. Two future scenarios are considered: introduction of new SSS services as envisaged by current EU projects and plans, and the introduction of new SSS routes and an increase in frequencies of existing services. Significant results were obtained in terms of shifting freight traffic from the road network as well as external benefits.

This chapter presents a generic methodology for evaluating the potential demand for short sea shipping (SSS) routes, integrated in intermodal transport chains, which use cargo roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ships. Models of costs and transit time across the entire transport chain for unimodal and intermodal transport solutions are presented, and a simple decision-making criterion for selecting the preferred transport solution is used. The annual demand is estimated for pairs of maritime freight rates and ship speeds, allowing the determination of the ship and fleet size. Regions for which intermodal transport is competitive are identified. A method is presented, based on a database of existing ships, for determining the characteristics of the required cargo ro-ro ships. The maximum annual profit is identified among the feasible pairs of maritime freight rate and ship speed. This methodology is applied in a case study dedicated to the SSS corridor between Portugal and northern Europe, where three different ports of destination are studied. The most suitable ship and the required fleet size are identified for each port, and the routes are evaluated from the financial perspective of the shipping company.

Short sea shipping has been broadly defined to comprise many different shipping segments, but its success in shifting cargos from land infrastructure (road and rail) is dependent mainly on roll-on/roll-off ships. The provision of suitable dedicated port terminals is also generally taken as of paramount importance to achieve such a goal. Therefore, this chapter provides a characterization of the European Ro-Ro ship fleet based on a comprehensive ship database. This database includes the main dimensions, the characteristics of cargo spaces, propulsion and auxiliary machinery power and service speed, for pure Ro-Ro cargo ships, Ro-Pax ships and ferries. The influence of these characteristics, particularly the speed and propulsion power and the provision of extensive passenger spaces, on the economic performance of Ro-Ro operations and the technological developments occurring in the different ship sub-types are discussed. The technical features necessary in dedicated short sea Ro-Ro terminals are also presented and their influence on the success of intermodal operations is discussed, considering also organizational and procedural matters, as these are critical for the competitiveness of short sea shipping.

This chapter discusses the methodologies and calculation procedures presented in the literature for assessing external costs implied by intermodal transport chains, with particular focus on the specific features of its application to short sea shipping (SSS) using roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ships. This evaluation of costs is included in an integrated methodology for the economic assessment of SSS routes, which is supported by a transport network model. The methodology and associated numerical methods are applied in a case study to evaluate the competitiveness of different SSS Ro-Ro routes in comparison with road and rail alternatives, with and without the full internalization of external costs and considering various possible ports. External costs associated with emissions are calculated using an activity-based approach. The case study indicates the detrimental effect of ship speed and of the significant emission factors associated with current marine fuels in the volume of emissions and in the external costs. Maritime route adjustments are carried out with positive effects in performance. The conclusions obtained may support decisions from shipping companies and guide port and national authorities in the development of transport infrastructure and in deciding whether to grant appropriate levels of public funding.

This chapter presents a multi-criteria decision method to assess the performance of possible alternative ports as cargo consolidation centres in intermodal chains. The evaluation is based in the competitiveness of the complete intermodal chain, that is the capillary hauls and trunk hauls (maritime leg) jointly analyzed against the alternative of trucking. The method includes, firstly, the calculation of indexes of time and cost for every possible intermodal route by assuming ‘many-to-many’ transport networks. Secondly, a multi-criteria decision matrix is developed and evaluated. Monte Carlo simulation is applied considering the reliability of the values assumed to construct the decision matrix, enabling meeting a specified risk level accepted by decision makers. This chapter presents an application of this multi-criteria decision method to intermodal transport between member states of the European Union. However, aware of the interest in the short sea shipping of regions where the application of the method is difficult due to the lack of information, this chapter also includes a simplified method with an application case to the eastern African coast.

This chapter addresses the characteristics of the main Latin American countries in the short sea shipping segment. The focus is on identifying the main obstacles of the specific legislation of each country and the Mercosul economic bloc, the main types of products transported, the regulatory system of these countries, the main problems of the segment in Latin America and possible agreements that could strengthen the sector in the region and its particularities. The study also analyzes the role of Brazil, as the region’s largest economy, in the short sea shipping segment, regulation, companies that operate in the sector and the growth potential of this market. It analyzes the infrastructure of the sector and the integration with other modes of transportation such as road, rail, inland waterway and pipeline. Finally, it analyzes the relationship of the short sea shipping segment with other shipping sectors, such as shipbuilding and port management. Actions are identified to support short sea shipping, initially focused on the entire transport chain and, at a later stage, on the different links which compose the chain. The objective is to make a comparison with countries or commercial blocks that already use short sea shipping extensively in their logistics systems.

This chapter focuses on shipping goods short and medium distances, domestically or within an economic region – often referred to as short sea shipping (SSS). It gives an overview of the main SSS segments and particularly elaborates on the two SSS signature segments, roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipping and container feeder shipping. Geographically and empirically, the rendering is most detailed for Europe. Trends, prospects and challenges for SSS are explored in a more general context.

The remarkable demographic growth and economic development of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean regions stimulate an ever increasing need for trade between the shores, especially from regions of North Africa and the Middle East towards Western European countries. Today, these exchanges take place mainly by sea and by roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ships, but the connections by container ships and by road transport are important too. Ro-Ro services are particularly crammed in some North-South directions, with relationships among few ports and with rather limited frequencies. Road transport, especially between the Middle East and Europe, has different limits in terms of cost, safety, and reliability. The paper proposes a hypothesis of a logistic organization on a Euro-Mediterranean scale, through the transition from a network of direct links to a hub and spoke (H&amp, S) network, according to the scheme envisaged for air transport. The research aims to explore, within a framework of the socio-economic system and the mobility demand system, the feasibility of a H&amp, S network for Ro-Ro freight in the Mediterranean basin, based on a hub with high logistical performances, limiting the planning to supply and process consequent impact assessments.

This study applies cost benefit analysis (CBA) approaches to evaluate corporate and social profitability of a coordinated management proposal for a Short Sea Shipping (SSS) network in the upper Tyrrhenian area. The profitability of the maritime network is assessed first for the shipping companies operating therein and then for society as a whole. Corporate profitability analysis reveals a supply system currently over-sized compared to actual demand. The reasons for this must be found in the corporate competition strategies that traditionally characterize the free maritime transport market in the area. Social profitability analysis proves the potential positive impact of services rescheduling and coordination in terms of time savings and emission reduction in port areas and demonstrates the benefits new integrated management policies could yield for achieving higher efficiency and sustainability in SSS Tyrrhenian networks.

Reduction of fuel consumption is a permanent research goal in all kinds of transportation. Moreover, in the last decade marine transportation is strongly influenced by the new regulatory framework for marine pollution that motivates investigation of alternative powering options for ships, offering lower emissions and lifetime costs. This work analyses current regulations on ship emissions associated with long term emission reduction goals, mathematical models to evaluate ship energy efficiency as well as technical and operative measures to meet ever stricter requirements [1, 2]. Mathematical models for life-cycle assessments (LCAs) of ship emissions and life-cycle cost assessments (LCCAs) are applied for several ships operating in coastal waters and inland waterways that are powered by alternative fuels and with different power system configurations [3, 4]. Electrification of ships is recognized as a promising option to reduce both lifetime emissions and total lifetime costs. However, additional research efforts are needed to make energy storage (batteries) and conversion technologies cheaper and applicable to long-distance shipping.

In order to comply with stringent environmental regulations, shipbuilders and ship-owners are seeking cleaner fuels and the integration of renewable energy sources into ship power systems. Such solutions regularly result in additional costs for ship operators, both in the case of retrofitting existing ships or acquiring completely new vessels. This paper deals with the life-cycle cost assessments (LCCAs) of different power system configurations of a ro-ro passenger vessel operating in the Croatian short-sea shipping sector. Electrification of the ship is considered as an option to reduce the carbon footprint (CF) of the vessel and to achieve economic savings during its lifetime. In this sense, the ship operational profile is analysed and its total power needs are determined. The life-cycle assessments of an existing diesel engine-powered solution and two potential battery-powered ship options (with and without photovoltaic cells) are performed by means of GREET 2018 software. Furthermore, these options are compared from an economical viewpoint, where different carbon credit scenarios are investigated. The results show that a diesel engine-powered vessel has the highest carbon footprint, as expected. However, it is also found that a battery-powered vessel (with or without photovoltaic cells) has a minimum environmental footprint and at the same time represents economically the most favourable solution for all possible carbon allowance scenarios. This indicates that all-electric ships seem to be a promising option for the future development of the Croatian short-sea shipping sector.

The potential to implement the concept of waterborne platooning in the European short sea transportation system is currently being explored. In the concept, a platoon is referred to as a “Vessel Train” (VT). A VT is composed of a fully manned lead vessel and a number of follower vessels. The lead vessel takes over the navigational and situational awareness responsibilities for the follower vessels (FVs). This enables automation of the navigational tasks on these follower vessels, which in turn leads to a potential reduction in crew size and associated cost. This paper describes the economic viability of the VT concept. It is applied to a short sea case study in which a fully matured system and an early implementation stage are mimicked. The assessment shows that viability is strongly influenced by the number of crew members removed from the FVs and the departure intervals of consecutive trains. It concludes that while economically viable cases can indeed be identified, the benefits created by this VT implementation are present but not very large. This is making it questionable if a successful application of the concept can be achieved given the risk and uncertainty surrounding the individual parameters.

There is a strong political focus on moving cargo transportation from trucks to ships to reduce environmental emissions and road congestion. We study how the introduction of a future generation of autonomous ships can be utilized in maritime transportation systems to become more cost-efficient, and as such contribute in the shift from land to sea. Specifically, we consider a case study for a Norwegian shipping company and solve a combined liner shipping network design and fleet size and mix problem to analyze the economic impact of introducing autonomous ships. The computational study carried out on a problem with 13 ports shows that a cost reduction up to 13% could be obtained compared to a similar network with conventional ships.

In the early years, maritime education had been mainly focused on the vocational training of deck officers on board. However, as the maritime business evolved, a change in the maritime education curriculum started to be necessary. To align maritime programmes with the needs of maritime stakeholders, maritime studies became an interdisciplinary academic field. Today, MET institutions juggle to comply with the Standard Training and Certificate Watch keeping (STCW) Convention and Code. However, it is also important to ensure that core subjects do not fade out under the integration of these new courses. As the emphasis on creating dedicated knowledge arises, students should be encouraged to participate on the researches conducted by their own centres through new participatory forms of web-based communication. This project has its origins in the research carried out by the Nautical Science and Engineering Department (DCEN) of the Barcelona School of Nautical Studies for the optimization of routes in the western Mediterranean. Through the analysis of the weather conditions in the western Mediterranean sailing area and, in particular, the most common adverse weather conditions in the area, a study of the impact of these weather conditions is carried on in the context of sea route optimization and their importance for short-haul transport. The results of the study are presented in participatory web format for dissemination and use as a didactic tool by the students; the routes studied will also be used as practical examples to explain the contents of the course in a clear and concise way. Through computer-supported collaborative learning, students will acquire lifelong skills and they will participate in the activities of their institution.

International audience; The purpose of this chapter is to study the benefits of collaboration among shippers in less than truckload transportation and to show the role of transhipments in the collaboration. In this chapter, the authors propose a new model for the pickup and delivery problem with transhipment and time windows to study the role of transhipment in the green collaborative transportation. A transportation network with two transportation modes road and sea is considered. Different scenarios are optimized and compared in terms of cost and CO2 emissions: with/without collaboration and with/without transhipment. The proposed model is applied to a case study with real data from three agri-food companies in short sea shipping context. With this model, the total cost and the total amount of CO2 emissions are reduced by using collaboration and transhipment. An experimental study was conducted to illustrate this positive impact.

Short Sea Shipping (SSS) is generally considered as a privileged transport mode in terms of reducing road congestion and related external costs. In the last two decades, SSS has attracted a lot of attention in the European Union, where it is also regarded as a key factor for economic and social cohesion between countries. In this regard, the present study proposes a new network design that aims at improving and increasing freight traffic between the north-western and the south-eastern shores of the Mediterranean Basin. The proposed model, designed for Ro-Ro (Roll-on Roll-off) freight transport, tries to overcome the limits of the existing multi-port-calling services through an innovative two-hub-based scheme of better scheduled and reliable frequencies and more competitive delivery times. The operating parameters of the new network are determined using a specially designed optimisation approach based on two separate but related mathematical models: a Mixed Integer Linear Programming Model for Service Frequency Selection and a Mixed Integer Linear Programming Model for Service Timetabling. Numerical tests, performed on real demand and supply data covering 23 ports in 8 Mediterranean countries, show the validity of the proposed approach to determine an optimal network configuration for the organisation of transport services in the area.

With the opening of the Panama Canal, Chile is adapting its transport logistics to the expected arrival of larger container vessels by assuming the establishment of a hub port in its central region. This paper tackles the feasibility of the intermodal chains through MoS to feed the North and the South regions from this central hub port. Due to the features of Chile, the intermodal distances are similar to the unimodal distances. This fact along with the remarkable imbalance of the cargo flows between the North and the South are an additional challenge for the success of the intermodality. In order to support the opportunities of success of the intermodality this study defines, through the optimization of a mathematical model, the most adequate fleets for MoS in the North and South of Chile. Likewise, assuming identical conditions for all Chilean ports (previous scenarios), the resolution of the model identifies the most suitable peripheral ports to articulate MoS from a large-scale hub port in the central region of Chile. The results show that, the intermodality is a competitive solution in the north, but it is not in the south when optimized fleets are used.

Brazilian transport matrix has a strong predominance of road transport, approximately 62%. The country has a territorial extension of a continent, with a navigable sea coast of 8.5 thousand kilometers, with 37 public ports, 39 fluvial ports which serve cargo ships that dock in the most significant public ports in the country, and more than 164 terminals for private use (TUPs). The majority of the Brazilian population, approximately 80%, which corresponds to 156 million inhabitants, inhabit up to 200 km from the coast, which would justify even more the use of maritime transport and leave the modal road for small distances and door-to-door deliveries.

In an effort to reduce carbon emissions from international shipping, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) developed its initial strategy in April 2018 setting ambitious targets for the sector. According to the initial strategy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping need to be reduced by at least 50% by 2050, and the CO2 emissions intensity by 40% by the year 2030, both compared to the 2008 levels. In order to achieve these goals, a combination of operational measures, investments in emissions abatement technology, and market-based measures will be necessary. The goals currently do not differentiate among different shipping sectors, and each sector faces different challenges. In this paper, we focus on short sea shipping (SSS), and on Ro-Pax services in particular that in general have not been examined thoroughly in the literature. We examine the emissions reduction potential of several measures, and we assess their efficacy compared with the targets set by the IMO initial strategy. The paper shows that the examined measures are not sufficient on their own to achieve the desired levels of reductions, and that a combination will be necessary, while technological solutions will need to be made more competitive through market based instruments.

The reduction of emissions generated by internal combustion engines represents one of the most important research topics in the marine sector. This especially refers to carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a major greenhouse gas. This paper deals with the viability of alternative fuels to reduce CO2 emissions in the Croatian short-sea shipping sector over a ship lifetime. The aim of the study is to identify appropriate alternatives to diesel-powered options, taking account of environmental and economic criteria. Besides diesel, which is currently the main marine fuel in Croatia, an analysis was conducted of electricity, methanol, dimethyl ether, natural gas, hydrogen and biodiesel, and the results are illustrated on three different Croatian ro-ro passenger ships, operating on short, moderate and relatively long routes, respectively. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) indicated the most environmentally friendly power system configuration with alternative fuel. The investigation from an economical point of view was performed by Life-Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA) which also considered potential carbon allowance scenarios. The results highlighted an electricity-powered ship as the most ecological as well as the most cost-effective option among those that are investigated, taking account of the real Croatian electricity mix that includes 46% of renewable sources.

Most of the literature on port choice has focused mostly on the views of carriers (and indirectly of cargo owners). We venture here to discover whether the choice criteria used by carriers are in line with what the ports themselves consider as important for their competitiveness. We undertake a 20-year-long literature search in peer-reviewed journals to identify the competitiveness criteria of both carriers and terminal operators. To that end, survey methods and (Fuzzy) Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) are employed. Our findings establish that the factors port operators consider important for the competitiveness of their port are not necessarily of equal importance for shipping companies when selecting a port. This is our main contribution to the academic literature. For port operators, the most important criterion for competitiveness is port location, followed by service level, port tariffs, and port facilities. In contrast, the most important criterion for carriers is (port) operational efficiency. The least important criteria for both groups of actors are the institutional framework of the port and its ownership status, respectively. Opposite to earlier research, our innovation here is in confronting ports and carriers with each other’s priorities. In competitive markets, such knowledge ought to influence decisions and the added value of this research is in the benefits of a ‘better mutual understanding’: when demand (carriers) and supply (ports) understand each other better, the result is a more pareto-efficient economic system, not only for the two players but for the greater society by and large.

Short sea shipping is the movement of cargo and passengers by sea between ports located in Europe or between these ports and ports located in non-European countries that have a coastline in closed seas bordering Europe. Short sea shipping includes domestic and international sea transport. It includes feeder services along the coast, to and from islands, rivers and lakes. The aim of this study was to create a functional and feasible development plan for Short Sea Shipping Promotion Centers (SPCs). There were 5 surveys made for SPCs located in Baltic Sea region (from Germany, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Poland) to obtain information on the scope and type of SPC's activities. There is a great potential for the development of SPC in Europe. Although, there are some barriers to overcome like formalities, customs documentation etc. The diverse legal forms of the SPC in individual countries also make it difficult to undertake integrated activities. The topic raised in the article is in line with current plans for the development of inland waterway transport in Poland and coincides with the Assumptions for development of inland waterways in Poland for 2016–2020 with 2030 perspective. The aim of the article was to consolidate the structures and tasks of all SPCs studied and to create a joint 6 point development plan for these centers in order to fully use their potential.