Operational energy efficiency assessment of a product tanker: a noon report-based methodological framework

Maritime transport exerts environmental pressure through high energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. This study presents a framework for operational energy efficiency assessment using 343 noon report records from a product tanker in the Caribbean (August 2024-July 2025). Port, anchorage, and transit days were excluded to isolate steady-state sea passage, with daily fuel consumption derived from bunker remaining on board records. A novel Loading Condition Indicator (LCI) was developed by z-score standardization of cargo temperature and free water measurements across 14 cargo tanks. Wind force had a significant negative effect on vessel speed (β = −0.627, p = 0.001, R² = 0.274). The LCI showed no significant relationship with daily fuel consumption (r = −0.254, p = 0.176, n = 30) but offers a replicable, low-cost cargo condition representation where hydrostatic parameters are unavailable. Noon report processing provides a reliable, low-cost basis for such assessments in short-haul tankers.