Time, fuel and emissions can be saved by ships and ports agreeing berthing, loading and unloading times
This will reduce delays for ships waiting to enter ports, reducing congestion and wasteful emissions in estuaries and offshore anchorages.
BIMCO is developing a Just-in-Time clause to contracts for review in 2020 that involves charterers and owners agreeing an arrival time and sharing the costs of fuel.
BIMCO head of maritime technology and regulation Aron Frank Sørensen expects this to reduce port congestion and help IMO reach its strategy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“We have a big problem in our industry that many ports are congested and that costs shipping a lot of money and emissions,” Mr Sørensen said at Riviera Maritime Media’s Optimised Ship Forum on 10 December in London.
“We need to do something about that, which would be good for shipowners. We are starting to consider what can be done about port congestion.”
This includes mapping all the elements of ship visits to ports and encouraging better ship-port communications. As an example, Mr Sørensen said “Ships are waiting on pilots, but pilots are not told when ships are cleared by customs and ready to sail.”
He thinks automatic communications between ship and port computers could help reduce waiting times.
Pilots and tugs also need to be involved in this exchange enabling more effective dispatch and ensuring resources are ready and in position when required. More could also be achieved on the legal side.
Mr Sørensen says third-party contracts could also include terminals, with owners and charterers considering potential fuel costs or savings from voyage planning and productive terminals.
“If terminals are involved, then if the terminal delays entry, it will pay the owner some money [to compensate additional time and fuel costs] and if ships are late, the operator could pay some money to the terminal,” said Mr Sørensen.
BIMCO’s Just-in-Time contract concept would enable early communications and co-operation between ships and ports operators, infrastructure and marine services, reducing idle time and emissions.
In addition, IMO has produced mandatory requirements for ports and ships to report and communicate digitally, with less than two years to implement this, said Mr Sørensen.
Riviera Maritime Media
