Atmospheric Emissions of Short Sea Shipping Compared to Road Transport Through the Peaks and Troughs of Short-Term Market Cycles

Green Distribution – A Comparative Study of Sea and Road Transport Modes for a Norwegian Manufacturing Company

“…SSS is typically defined as the movement of cargo and passengers by sea between ports that does not involve an ocean crossing [11]. According to Hjelle [3], deep-sea and bulk operations are superior to other transport modes in terms of GHG emissions, while the superiority of SSS needs to be demonstrated relative to road transport alternatives.…”

“…Cargo ships usually have a load factor of 50-70 percent [12], [3]. The load factor will have a significant impact on the final result of the CO2e emissions that a specific load accounts for.…”

“…A number of sources show varying load factors for short-sea shipping in Norway. A study by Hjelle [3] shows that there is a large difference in load factors between southbound and northbound transport routes in Norway. Southbound routes had a load factor of 66 percent, while northbound routes had a load factor of 47 percent.…”

“…According to Crum et al [2], supply chain managers are in an advantageous position to impact environmental and social performance, both positively and negatively, through such means as supplier selection and supplier development, modal and carrier selection, vehicle routing, location decisions, and packaging choices. According to Hjelle [3], the issue of global warming receives wide attention on the global political agenda, mainly related to direct emissions of GHG from vessels and vehicles, but also to emissions related to the manufacturing of these means of transport.…”

“…The cases presented in this paper are related to delivery of pipes to road construction projects in Norway. Hjelle [3] pointed out that the efficiency of short sea shipping in a setting with small consignments and frequent port calls needs to be demonstrated relative to road transport alternatives.…”