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What is it about speed that upsets the shipping industry?

The Deputy Secretary General at BIMCO explains why imposing speed limits it is not the answer to cut emissions.
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The following article entitled ‘What is it about speed that upsets the shipping industry?’ written by Lars Robert Pedersen, Deputy Secretary General at BIMCO, first appeared in the June edition of the BIMCO Bulletin here.

You won’t find many – if any – who disagree that the higher the speed of a ship, the higher the level of greenhouse gas emissions. So why would I argue that, while imposing speed limits may have a popular ring to it, it is not the answer as the industry seeks to cut emissions? After all, our mission is to do exactly that: cut emissions.

The important question is not whether a speed limit should be introduced to cut emissions, but how it would be checked. Before vouching for an argument, one must look at whether it can be done.

What looks good on paper does not always work in practice. Enforceability is a very important aspect of any meaningful regulation. Can authorities check for compliance? Is the regulation meaningful if it can’t be checked?

Only one option would work in practice

I can think of four possible options, but only one works when it comes to implementing a solution that can be measured and checked accurately, and that correlates to emissions:

  • A limit for speed through water. This cannot be checked accurately, but correlates closely to emissions.
  • A limit for speed over ground. This can be checked accurately, but there is a much lower correlation to emissions.
  • A limit for average speed (over ground or through water). It may be possible to check this, but there is also a much lower correlation to emissions.
  • Limits for propulsion power. This is the only option that can be checked accurately and has a close correlation to emissions. 

To understand why this last option is the best solution, we must get technical.

Most people have an intuitive understanding of what speed means, and that is usually derived from personal observations when we move on the ground. If you move 7km in one hour, your average speed is 7km per hour. Short and simple.

What is less simple is recognising that, when we move on the ground, there is no slip. The wheels on our car turn one revolution, and the car has moved exactly the distance equal to the circumference of the wheel.

It is different at sea – and, for that matter, when we talk about movement in the air.

Measuring a ship’s speed through water is not accurate

When a ship moves, it moves through water. It also moves over ground – and so does the water in which the ship sails. Observing a ship’s speed over ground is really an observation of the ship’s speed through water plus or minus the current at any given time.

The problem is, we do not know the current at any given time, and measuring a ship’s speed through water directly is not very accurate, either.

When a ship is new, and the shipyard measures its speed/power curve, it does so by conducting a very precisely measured double run between two fixed positions: there and back. This eliminates the influence of current and results in an average speed over ground that accurately reflects the ship’s speed through water.

When a ship is in operation, it is impractical to measure in this way. The shipping company still wants to keep an eye on the ship’s performance, and this is often done by observing propeller revolutions and factoring in an average slip percentage for the ship. Slip is the relationship between the observed movement of the ship when the propeller turns one revolution in water and the propeller’s theoretical movement of the ship had the water been a solid material.

Some ships have doppler speed logs, which use advanced techniques to measure the speed of the water column below the ship relative to the ship itself. Still, the water flow is not laminar close to the ship hull and such devices need frequent adjustment to produce accurate results.

In summary, measuring a ship’s speed through water is not a precise exercise.

Low correlation between emissions and speed over ground

If you measure a ship’s speed over ground and try to correlate this to the emissions or the power of the engine, you would get a very large scatter. This is because the current changes by time and location – and it changes significantly. The difference between favourable currents with a ship and unfavourable currents against a ship may be as large as 50% of the speed observed over ground.

So there is a low correlation between a ship’s emissions and its speed over ground.

Cutting average speed – where is the emissions connection?

When we look at average speed – the third option, above – we need to bear in mind how speed through water and power correlates for a ship to understand if this could work. Remember the rule of thumb: power = constant x speed3.

A ship travelling between two locations, sailing at constant speed, emits 100% CO2. A ship travelling between the same two locations – sailing the first half distance at 50% higher than the average speed, and the second half distance at half of that higher speed – would emit 141% CO2. These two scenarios give the same average speed for the ship.

So there is no correlation between average speed through water and emissions. Averaging speed over ground just make things even more arbitrary.

Emissions are driven by power of the engine

All this may seem unimportant, but emissions are driven by the power of the engine that turns the ship’s propeller. There is very good correlation between emissions and power of the engine.

There is also a reasonably good correlation between a ship’s emissions and its speed through water, as mentioned in the first option. We must keep in mind, however, that two ships with the same cargo-carrying capacity – but different efficiency – would have different emissions. So the correlation between many ships travelling at the same speed and their emissions is not good.

We can continue to talk about speed limits for ships, but if we forget to ask ourselves the fundamental question of whether it helps cut emissions, we are heading in the wrong direction on our way to the industry’s 2050 greenhouse gas emission targets.

Limiting emissions via a ship’s power to the propeller not only gets us in the right direction, it encourages innovation around more efficient ships – and helps us assure a level competitive playing field on our way there.

Published: 19 July, 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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5 days ago

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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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