The implementation of technical energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction measures in shipping

- A cross-sectional survey is used to gauge the implementation of technologies.
- There is good spread of implementation across the different categories of measures.
- Only a few measures in each of the categories are implemented at sufficient scale.
- These have small energy efficiency gains at the ship level.
- Current use of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources is very low.

Numerous energy efficiency and carbon reduction technologies have been identified within the shipping sector but their overall implementation remains unknown. It is important to know the implementation in order to establish a credible baseline and evaluate progress towards low carbon shipping. Using a cross-sectional survey of shipowners and operators this paper attempts to gauge the implementation of over thirty energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction technologies. The results show that whilst there is a good spread of implementation across the different measures, only a select number of measures in each of the categories are implemented at sufficient scale. Secondly, the measures with high implementation have tended to be those that have small energy efficiency gains at the ship level, and the uptake of CO2 reducing technologies, particularly alternative fuels is low despite their high potential for reducing CO2 emissions. If shipping's emissions are to be in line with other sectors in the future and follow a decarbonisation pathway, it would require higher implementation of energy efficiency and CO2 reducing technologies than those driven by current regulations alone.