Slow steaming on a particular Asia-Europe trade can save a shipping line in excess of US$10 million in fuel costs but this means berthing windows need to be changed and this is not so easy in Europe, unlike in Asia, reports Correspondent Paul Richardson
Almost half of the container shipping services covering the Asia-US and Asia-Europe and Mediterranean trades, have been operating under the so-called slow steaming structure since the beginning of this year, according to figures provided by PR News Service ComPort database.The idea of slow steaming first made its impressions on the industry back at the beginning of 2009, when the market slump and global economic downturn began to take effect.
Linked with the increasing cost of fuel, and the environmental issues of CO2 emission reduction, lines jumped at the opportunity to cut speed, save costs and address the eco-friendly concerns of the environmental world.
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