Some Aspects of Fuel Economy in Bulk Carrier Design and Operation

Abstract

In this paper we look at solutions to the impact of higher fuel costs on the design of bulk carriers and strategies for fleet operation. We propose analytical techniques that recognize the inventory cost of the goods in transit as well as the economics of the ship itself. As an illustration of our proposals, we show the results of a study to determine the best combination of design speed and block coefficient for a bulk carrier of Panamax size under various levels of fuel price. A section on fleet management proposes a method for selecting the most fuel_efficient plan for operating a fleet of ships during conditions of fuel shortage or unforeseen rises in price.