ABSTRACT: While revising their “Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan” [SEEMP] the crew of a roll-on/roll-off [Ro-Ro] passenger ferry in Norway discussed new measures for energy saving. One suggestion was to lower transit speed by reducing idle dwell time in port. The concept was to arrive just in time to handle all cargo before departing. On short distances a couple of minutes would make a noticeable impact on transit speed. A speed reduction leads to lower fuel consumption which has both economic and environmental benefits. Although port operational efficiency has been studied by maritime researchers for some amount of time, there exists a limited supply of literature dealing with passenger ferries and their cargo handling in port. It was therefore necessary to gather more information before implementing this measure in the ferry’s SEEMP. An observational field study was carried out by one of the navigators, where different variables related to cargo handling in port was measured. Throughout the field study it was discovered that the ferry had idle time in port on several occasions. Among the factors that were discussed it was recommended that transit speed should be reduced by 0,5 knots to save fuel. The results were then summarized in this article and distributed with the intent of sharing our experiences.

KEYWORDS: Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), Voyage Planning, Port Operations, Case Study, Passenger Ferries, Efficient Operation, Ro-Ro Terminal, Norwegian Maritime Companies

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