Advancing sustainable maritime development through operations research techniques

Abstract

Maritime transportation, an indispensable driver of global trade and economic development, faces the imperative of sustainable development amid its pivotal role in international commerce. Despite delivering over 80% of global trade by volume in 2022, the maritime industry grapples with environmental and operational efficiency challenges, necessitating a paradigm shift towards sustainable practices. This thesis delves into three pivotal strategies within the realm of sustainable development: autonomous ships, cleaner energy generation subsidies, and foul cleaning. Autonomous ships significantly boost maritime sustainability by improving fuel efficiency, cutting emissions, enhancing safety, streamlining operations, optimizing fleet management, reducing human error, and potentially integrating renewable energy sources. Cleaner energy adoption in maritime operations yields benefits such as emissions reduction, regulatory compliance, improved air quality, cost savings, innovation stimulation, and enhanced competitiveness. Foul cleaning, essential for maintaining hull performance and fuel efficiency, reduces drag, lowers fuel consumption, enhances maritime efficiency, and minimizes environmental impact. This practice also extends vessel lifespan, decreases maintenance needs, prevents invasive species spread, and ensures environmental regulation compliance, playing a crucial role in responsible maritime management. With a dedicated focus on each strategy, we employ operations research techniques to intricately optimize maritime operations. The objective is to navigate towards sustainability with a keen emphasis on cost-effectiveness, striving for a harmonious coexistence between economic benefits and environmental well-being. Through an in-depth exploration of these strategies and the application of advanced operations research methodologies, this study aims not only to reduce the environmental footprint of maritime operations but also to underscore the maximization of benefits at minimized costs. This thesis makes both theoretical and practical contributions to maritime sustainability. In terms of theoretical advancement, we initially develop models to accurately quantify the problem, enabling the derivation of clear solutions. Subsequently, we refine existing solution methods to expedite computation, rendering large-scale instances solvable within reasonable timeframes. On the practical front, the quantitative analysis yields valuable managerial insights, offering guidance for practical implementation.