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. However, the economic instability of the late 2000s, brought about the concept of slow steaming, which is still used today and involves a slower cruising speed to reduce fuel usage and emissions.
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Why Don’t Cargo Ships Travel Faster?
Most container ships don’t exceed 24 knots even if they have the capability. In fact, many vessels cruise at rates between 20 and 30% slower than their maximum. This is partly due to fuel economy, which shipping outfits must carefully consider for each route in order to save money. While traveling faster would get the onboard goods to port in less time, it would also require more fuel. For example, a ship loaded with around 8,000 TEU (a common measurement for volume), could save around 33% of fuel a day, by cruising at 21 knots instead of 24.
, a mere 10% slower cruising speed could result in as much as 19% less harmful emissions.
While the ocean is vast, there are crowded routes with elevated levels of marine vessels, making higher speeds a safety issue. The English Channel for example, see’s upwards of 500 ships a day in its waters. Maneuverability at greater speeds would be hindered and even at normal cruising knots, it can take a container ship upwards of a mile to completely slow to a halt.
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