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Wartsila: Slow steaming to arrive at the right time

Explores why slow steaming is not common practice used to match a vessel’s arrival time at ports.
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The following ‘Slow steaming to arrive at the right time’ article was first published on the Wärtsilä magazine Twentyfour 7 in February 2019:

International shipping accounts for around 3% of global CO2 emissions. The amount of cargo carried by sea has grown and is expected to reach 12 billion tonnes by 2020. Growth in global trade also means growth in fuel consumption and, therefore, higher emissions.

One of the most effective, quickest and easiest solutions to reduce emissions is to slow ships down. Even micro-adjustments at high speeds have a massive impact on fuel consumption. According to a study conducted by environmental group, Seas at Risk, a 10% reduction in the speed of world fleet would result in a 19% reduction in CO2 emissions.

Slowing down the speed of the vessel also reduces the time a vessel spends at anchor waiting for a port call. While waiting outside the port, ships consume energy, emitting fumes to the detriment of local air-quality and their cumulative presence heightens the risk of accidents.

Slow steaming and just-in-time port arrivals are two of the few practices, where economic and environmental benefits don’t contradict each other. Many environmental organisations have called for the shipping industry to act quicker in order to take on new practices to cut down emissions. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has acted on the matter since the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and called for a reduction of emissions caused by international shipping. Several policy options have since been launched. But no regulations on slow steaming have been tabled yet. So, currently, it is a voluntary practice.

Getting all on board

Marine Traffic, a leading source of ship tracking intelligence world-over, has developed a real-time global database to track vessels while on a voyage and at port. Argyris Stasinakis who is a partner, board member at this Oxford-based company, sees the problem as a complex one. However, according to him, the solution can be narrowed down to one single word: communication.

“The key is information exchange. Communication between the vessel, port authorities, terminals and other parties involved is not as dynamic as it should be,” says Stasinakis. “In many cases, vessels are called to port two to six hours beforehand, and that is too late to make any meaningful adjustments to the vessel speed,” he explains.

Delays and congestions in ports are often due to inefficient communication between one player to another.

Technically, ready!

Matteo Natali, General Manager at Wärtsilä addresses the issue. He notes that a port consists of several individual roles. “The Port is actually a community with many different operators. There are terminal operators, port authority, logistics companies, agents, pilots, tug operators, other service providers, and so forth,” explains Natali.

The good thing is that technical solutions already exist to support coordination between the different parties involved. For instance, Wärtsilä is involved in projects that aim to enable more efficient, real-time communication between all stakeholders.

Natali himself is also working on one such interesting project—Portify, a digital communication platform that allows for smooth data exchange between the vessel and the port community. The platform thus helps actualise the benefits of real-time coordination and ultimately achieve speed and route optimisation for just-in-time arrival, based on the availability of the berth and all players involved in the vessel arrival operations.

While Stasinakis agrees that technical solutions exist, he points out that the culture of sharing information, which is currently business-driven, is a barrier.

“Stakeholders are reluctant to share information. But we have seen in other industries, like aviation or global retail, that when there is huge information flow, the data sharing leads to a higher understanding of the industry and improved efficiency,” says Stasinakis. Marine Traffic works on an open-source principle and has millions of monthly users.

The digital tide

Some of the world’s busiest ports are leading the way by going increasingly digital to allow better real-time communication. Europe’s busiest port is Rotterdam, where 30,000 ocean-bound vessels and 105,000 inland vessels are handled every year. Port of Rotterdam has developed a digital dashboard where real-time data on water, weather and opening slots at berth are updated.

“We were one of the first to initiate talks with other ports and shipping companies to find existing standards to maximise the benefits of sharing data,” explains Captain Ben van Scherpenzeel, who is the director of Nautical Developments, Policy and Plans at the Port of Rotterdam.

Captain van Scherpenzeel has a practical outlook and says that given the scope of data, the system should be as lean as possible.

“We are currently conducting very fundamental work, trying to define what is the minimum amount of data that would need to be exchanged. Next step is figuring how to make data part of the current process. At least half of my working hours currently is devoted to this project.”

Published: 4 March, 2019
 

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Environment

Indonesia to expedite removal of sunken Malaysia-flagged tanker “Silver Sincere”

Vessel sank while carrying about 1,000 mt of waste oil on 12 January 2025; the wreck was discovered in March 2025 and was found to have drifted about 13 nautical miles from its original sinking site.

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July 20, 2026

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Indonesia to expedite removal of sunken Malaysia-flagged tanker “Silver Sincere”

Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs on Tuesday (14 July) held a cross-agency coordination meeting to expedite efforts in handling the Malaysian-flagged tanker Silver Sincere that sank off Bintan Regency, Riau Islands.

The vessel sank while carrying about 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of waste oil on 12 January 2025. 

According to authorities, the ship sank within Indonesian waters. After several surveys, the wreck was finally discovered in March 2025 and it was found to have shifted approximately 13 nautical miles from the initial sinking location.

The meeting was aimed to align cross-ministerial and institutional measures to expedite the handling of the Silver Sincere wreck while minimising risks to shipping safety, the marine environment, and national interests.

Deputy for Coordination of State Defense and National Unity Purwito Hadi Wardhono emphasised that the handling of the impact of the Silver Sincere sinking was the first case to be comprehensively coordinated, serving as a model for handling foreign vessels sinking within Indonesian jurisdiction.

Through this cross-sectoral coordination, the government will establish a clear and measurable framework that can serve as a reference for resolving similar cases in the future, while minimising state losses due to environmental pollution, damage to underwater ecosystems and infrastructure, and disruption to shipping lanes.

“The most important thing is to immediately stop and prevent the negative impacts of this ship sinking,” Purwito said.

“Therefore, a coordinating role is crucial, as maritime security governance involves various ministries and institutions with varying authorities, allowing for faster, more integrated, and more effective response,” he said. 

He added that the Silver Sincere was a Malaysian-flagged vessel that sank within Indonesian jurisdiction, and therefore, all handling processes must comply with the provisions of Indonesian laws and regulations.

In the meeting, Prof. Eko Ganis Sukoharsono, representing the SAE Energy Consulting Team, presented the results of an analysis based on 14 observation periods using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery. 

The analysis results showed strong indications of a waste oil spill that has resulted in marine pollution, damage to the seabed due to shifting shipwrecks, disruption of coastal ecosystems and fishing grounds, and potentially threatening the livelihoods of fishing communities around the Riau Islands. 

Purwito added these findings further emphasise the importance of accelerating the removal of the shipwrecks to prevent widespread environmental impacts, maintain shipping safety, and avoid the potential for greater state losses.

The meeting brought together representatives of related ministries and institutions including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Attorney General’s Office.  

Related: MPA: Malaysia-registered tanker “Silver Sincere” sinks off Pedra Branca

 

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Julian T
Published: 20 July, 2026

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Methanol

China launches methanol shipping supply chain alliance to accelerate green transition

Marine fuel suppliers in the alliance include Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales, China Marine Bunker (PetroChina), SIPG Energy (Shanghai), and Shenzhen Port Energy Development.
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July 17, 2026

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China Waterborne Transport Research Institute under the Ministry of Transport and China Transport News recently jointly launched a Methanol Fuel Shipping Supply Chain Innovation Alliance with 20 organisations spanning the shipping, port, energy, equipment, research and industry association sectors.

The alliance was officially announced during the main event of China Maritime Day 2026 on 11 July, where members also released a joint initiative to develop a collaborative methanol-fuelled shipping supply chain.

The alliance aims to implement China’s national strategy for green economic transformation and support the Ministry of Transport’s “One Network, Four Modernisations” initiative by building a safe, efficient, economical and reliable methanol marine fuel supply chain

Under the joint initiative, alliance members pledged to align with China’s national decarbonisation strategy by promoting methanol as a key pathway for the shipping sector’s green transition and optimising the industry’s energy mix.

The members also pledged to strengthen collaboration across the supply chain to improve coordination between bunker fuel production, transportation and end users while advancing technological innovation.

Lastly, the alliance will support the development of policies, planning and technical standards, promote resource sharing and joint research, and accelerate the large-scale adoption of methanol as a marine fuel.

The alliance brings together companies and organisations representing the entire methanol shipping supply chain.

Members include shipping and port members such as China Changjiang National Shipping (Group) Corporation, COSCO Shipping Bulk Co., Ltd., Shandong Port Group, and Wuhan Chuangxin Jianghai Shipping Co., Ltd.

Energy companies in the alliance include Sinopec Chemical Commercial Holding Company Limited and Methanex Corporation.

Marine fuel suppliers including Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales, China Marine Bunker (PetroChina), SIPG Energy (Shanghai) Co Ltd and Shenzhen Port Energy Development Co Ltd are also part of the alliance. 

Equipment manufacturers in the alliance are CSSC 711th Research Institute, CSSC Power (Group) Corporation Ltd and Chongqing Hongjiang Machinery Co Ltd.

Research, media and industry organisations participating in the alliance include the China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, China Transport News, and the Methanol Institute.

The Methanol Institute said methanol is moving beyond individual projects towards coordinated action across the entire value chain. 

“And China continues to play a leading role in advancing methanol as a marine fuel,” it said in a social media post.  

“We’re proud to work alongside our fellow alliance members to help strengthen the methanol supply chain and support the continued growth of methanol as a marine fuel.”

 

Photo credit: David Yu from Pixabay
Published: 17 July, 2026

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Wind-assisted

DNV awards TADC to Econowind for VentoFoil 3-Series

System actively harnesses wind power to generate forward thrust, helping to reduce bunker fuel consumption and mitigate FuelEU penalties.
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July 17, 2026

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DNV awards TADC to Econowind for VentoFoil 3-Series

Dutch wind-assisted propulsion technology firm Econowind on Wednesday (15 July) said it has received a Type Approval Design Certificate (TADC) from classification society DNV for its VentoFoil 3-Series boundary layer suction wing. 

The company said the certification confirms compliance with DNV’s ST-0511 standard for Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems and enables easier integration of VentoFoils on DNV-classed vessels worldwide. 

Econowind added that the approval accelerates the deployment of wind propulsion across the shipping industry.

“DNV is one of the world’s leading classification societies. This TADC gives DNV-classed shipowners confidence that VentoFoils meet the highest industry standards,” said Chiel de Leeuw, Chief Commercial Officer at Econowind. 

“It simplifies the approval process for both retrofits and newbuilds. VentoFoils are ideal for late-stage design integration and retrofit projects. This is an important milestone for Econowind and for the wider adoption of wind-assisted ship propulsion.”

The 3-Series VentoFoil is Econowind’s best-selling suction wing to date, with over 150 units sold. The system actively harnesses wind power to generate forward thrust, helping to reduce fuel consumption and mitigate FuelEU penalties. The system includes a tilting foundation, allowing the wings to be tilted down during port operations or in adverse weather conditions, making it a flexible solution.

The TADC applies to the 16-meter VentoFoil 3-Series product design and supports easy integration into DNV-classed vessels without repeating the full design assessment process. This enables shipowners, shipyards, and project teams to move more efficiently from concept to installation, reducing project complexity and accelerating deployment. 

Hasso Hoffmeister, Senior Principal Engineer at DNV Maritime, said: “It is a great pleasure to award Econowind this new certificate. WAPS have been going from strength to strength over the past few years, from 2022 the number of vessels in operation has increased five times, and we’ve now topped the century mark. 

“And with the current advances in technology, materials, and production capacity in the segment, we expect this to accelerate. So, while the wind always changes, the shipping industry is likely to be sailing strong for years to come.”

Econowind expects the DNV Type Approval Design Certificate to accelerate adoption of the VentoFoil, particularly among shipowners seeking proven, independently certified technology that can support fuel savings, emissions reductions, and decarbonization goals.

MS Heinz of HS Schiffahrt is among the first vessels to sail under this TADC.The company said the approval builds on Econowind’s growing installed base and further strengthens confidence in wind-assisted ship propulsion as a practical solution to address energy scarcity and high fuel prices. 

In addition to the 3-Series, Econowind offers the 5-Series for the deep-sea market.

 

Photo credit: Econowind
Published: 17 July, 2026

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