An analysis of energy efficiency of various ships sailing in the European Economic Area waters

Abstract

The study aims to understand the interaction relationship between ship emissions and ship type, port of registry, and country of registry, and to advance the empirical understanding of ship energy efficiency. This study applied ANOVA methods to examine the relationship between over 7000 ships’ emissions and various types of ships in 170 ports of registry and 70 countries of registry. This study has important findings. First, gas carriers and general cargo ships are typically the highest CO₂ emitters per transport work, while bulk carriers and oil tankers are the lowest. Second, Madeira and Valletta ports exhibit significantly higher emission intensity. In contrast, Nassau and Piraeus ports have relatively lower emissions. Third, Portugal and Malta are among the countries having higher emissions than most of the countries studied. In contrast, Greece has lower emissions. Fourth, emissions differ by ship type, port of registry, and by country of registry.