Energy efficiency of modern commercial fleet vessels. Regulatory tools and methods of achievement

Negative climatic changes, expressed in an increase in average annual temperatures on the planet and associated with saturation of the lower atmosphere with greenhouse gases, force measures to reduce the anthropogenic factor of influence on these processes and the development of methods and regulatory tools. Despite the fact that marine transportation due to the burning of fossil hydrocarbons accounts for less than 2.5 % of total carbon dioxide emissions, in the long term, the accumulation effect can have serious consequences. The subject of this study is the energy efficiency of ships of the modern commercial fleet. The various regulatory requirements for energy efficiency are considered in the paper and the chronology of the requirements introduction at both international and regional levels is tracked. It is noted that the developed methods of energy efficiency assessment are aimed at reducing the measure of the anthropogenic factor influence on the greenhouse effect and that energy efficiency estimates are mainly based on monitoring carbon dioxide emissions when engines run on various types of fuels. The focus in the study is on measures to reduce CO2 emissions at all stages of the ship life cycle, from design and construction to ship recycling. Among the measures to reduce emissions at the design and construction stage, the issues of optimizing the ship hull and its power plant, developing structures for working on non-traditional, carbon-neutral and carbon-free fuels, and introducing alternative energy sources into the design of a ship power plant, etc. are discussed. Among the operational measures to reduce CO2 emissions, the problems of optimizing the speed and routes of transportation, the vessel loading, and operating modes of ship equipment are considered. The problems that arise in the way of implementing technologies to achieve the requirements for ships energy efficiency are considered in the paper. Based on the analysis of various methods for reducing the measure of impact on the greenhouse effect from the global shipping industry, the conclusions on the results achieved and their effectiveness are drawn.