Blue Visby Solution let grain ships sail slower by guaranteeing a berth on arrival

BBC Future reported in July 2024 that in late 2021 about 100 ships were queuing off Los Angeles and Long Beach. The ports began giving incoming ships a queue number so they could time arrival to a ready berth. Vessels then sailed about three or four knots slower on average across the Pacific, and Xeneta estimates this saved around 460,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Blue Visby Solution, from industry firms including Napa, applies the same idea to bulk ships. It tracks traffic into a port, factors in weather, and forecasts the arrival time and sailing speed. Grain growers' cooperative CBH chartered two grain ships for the first real-world trial in March and April 2024. Compared with computer models of the same voyages at slightly faster speeds, emissions were between 7.9% and 28.2% lower.

CBH's head of chartering, Pia van Wyngaard, says slower sailing saved fuel, but the longer voyage cost money, leaving an approximate net balance.

Guarantee a berth slot on arrival, then slow the ship so waiting becomes sailing time and nobody arrives late.

Ships rush because arriving late can be costly, for example a coal mine waiting on cargo or a factory missing components.

A guaranteed berth removes the need for a buffer, so waiting at anchor can be replaced with slower sailing.

A general speed limit would reduce how much cargo ships can move; this approach keeps transport time the same.

A 10% speed cut can cut emissions about 20%, according to a Bimco director.

Remove the reason people rush (the fear of missing the slot) and the slow, cheaper behavior follows without a blanket speed limit.

The BBC says the trial was judged a success by Blue Visby's side, though one master was slow to act on a slow-down order (CBH denied a communication hiccup). The emissions figures are modelled comparisons. Analysts doubt wide uptake: some operators will deviate to profit, and Red Sea rerouting is currently pushing ships to sail faster.