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Sustainability in the Maritime Transport Research and Port logistics

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2024 | Viewed by 4067

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alen Jugović

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Guest Editor
Department of Maritime Logistics and Management, Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Interests: sustainable transport and logistics; shipping and port economics; sea passenger transport; regional development
Dr. Luka Vukić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Maritime Studies, Department for Management of Marine Technologies, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
Interests: sustainable transport and logistics; transport geography; shipping and port economics; traffic technology and transport
Prof. Dr. Saša Žiković

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Interests: risk management; energy economics; FinTech; banking

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the challenges of leading international bodies to make shipping a zero-emission industry, sustainability issues in maritime transport and ports have become the focal points of recent regulations, policies, initiatives, and other available mechanisms. The aim of maritime sustainability is to increase environmental awareness and introduce greener measures for shipping and ports for a  few reasons  Shipping is responsible for 90% of world trade and is the most energy-efficient and cost-effective transport modality, being able to carry large quantities of diverse cargo across long distances. Ports are crucial industrial and logistical nodes in the overall supply chains. Maritime transport contributes to 2-3% of global anthropogenic emissions, causing significant environmental and social damage, while ports are causing adverse environmental impacts and effects on the global climate through their everyday activities. Ports and maritime transport are sources of negative externalities, with air pollution as one of their principal environmental damage factors. In response to growing environmental concerns, the decarbonization policy primarily aims to accomplish energy transition by reducing ship emissions, landside operations, and industrial and logistic activities. In addition to harmful emissions, these industries and their overall logistics burden the environment with adverse outcomes of their operations, such as noise pollution, ballast water issues, reduced water quality, waste disposal, biodiversity challenges, and other negative consequences of transport activities. To achieve sustainable maritime transport and port logistics, it is imperative to integrate environmental responsibility into the existing social equity and economic efficiency model.

This Special Issue, focusing on sustainability in maritime transport and port logistics, aims to address the most recent and contemporary issues in the increasing awareness of environmental protection through diverse operational, organizational, technical, behavioral, legislation, and other practices, arising from the most relevant international organizations, institutions, regional economic unions and other bodies (IMO, EU, UN). The “sustainability revolution” in the maritime sector and the necessity to comply with the latest regulations and measures—such as those to increase energy efficiency standards (EEDI, EEXI, SEEMP, CII), reduce emissions (Global SOx Cap, NOx emission standards, Emission Control Areas), mitigate climate change impacts (IMO’s Initial GHG Strategy objectives of reduction 50% in the total annual GHG emissions, EU’s target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030)—represent the cornerstones of this Special Issue. Additionally, other green initiatives for the development, operations, logistics, and governance of ports are essential.

The specific objective of this Special Issue is to expand scientific research in complex and dynamic industries by addressing the appropriate sustainable development issues of maritime transport and port logistics. Generally, decarbonization and the sustainability of transport focus on three application areas: infrastructure, transport equipment and conveyance, and operations and management strategies. These areas of intervention, along with other operational and organizational practices, should be addressed in the following research fields: sustainable maritime transport and logistics, air pollution and climate change, new and renewable sources of energy, port noise, policies and laws relating to sustainability, increasing energy efficiency, SSS and electrification possibilities, external costs of shipping and ports, green port governance tools, GSCM and ports, a novel methodology in sustainability and decarbonization of the industry, measuring environmental efficiency, the implementation of novel technologies in maritime transport and port operations, ballast water management technologies,  water and waste management in ports, the optimization of marine routes according to sustainability propositions (green corridors), selection of transportation modes, digitalization as an indicator of sustainability, application of scientific methods in environmental protection, green shipping, ports and corridors, etc. Authors are invited to submit papers focusing on current and developing technologies, policy making, and discussions of diverse methodologies that aim to reduce the environmental footprint of the maritime, port, and logistics sectors. Papers should be extensively grounded in existing research, preferably of new-applied methods, to address sustainability concepts and significant findings applicable to industry and academia, as well as suggesting directions for future research. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Conference Information:

International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) Conference; IAMU

3rd International Maritime Conference Naše more (Our Sea) 2023 Safety, Innovation, Resilience

WIT Conferences (Wessex Institute), 10th International Conference on Energy and Sustainability

TransNav Conference; Faculty of Navigation of the Gdynia Maritime University and The Nautical Institute

IMSC 2023 – 10th International Maritime Science Conference

International Conference on International Maritime Transport ICIMT on March 25-26, 2023 in Madrid, Spain

15th ITS European Congress in Lisbon, Portugal

The 9th ECCOMAS, Sicily, Italy

ECCOMAS CONGRESS 2024, Lisbon, Portugal

9th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering, Madrid, Spain

Prof. Dr. Alen Jugović
Dr. Luka Vukić
Prof. Dr. Saša Žiković
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable maritime transport and logistics
  • green port management and operations
  • optimization of maritime routes and green corridors
  • enhancing the energy efficiency
  • decarbonization of maritime transport and ports
  • a novel methodology for sustainable development
  • external costs of transport
  • alternative fuels and policy recommendations
  • technologies and innovations in maritime and port business
  • case studies of decarbonization in the maritime sector
  • challenges and obstacles to sustainable development in maritime transport
  • the sustainability of transport logistics chains

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 5029 KiB  
Article
Collaborative Scheduling Optimization of Container Port Berths and Cranes under Low-Carbon Environment
by Meixian Jiang, Fangzheng Ma, Yuqiu Zhang, Shuying Lv, Zhi Pei and Guanghua Wu
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2985; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072985 - 03 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 539
Abstract
Motivated by the need for a green and low-carbon economy, we explore the co-scheduling optimization of berths and cranes. Our aim is to balance the carbon tax and operating costs of ports under uncertain conditions, proposing an innovative nonlinear mixed-integer programming formulation. To [...] Read more.
Motivated by the need for a green and low-carbon economy, we explore the co-scheduling optimization of berths and cranes. Our aim is to balance the carbon tax and operating costs of ports under uncertain conditions, proposing an innovative nonlinear mixed-integer programming formulation. To address this optimization challenge, we have developed an enhanced version of the adaptive spiral flying dung beetle algorithm (ASFDBO). In order to evaluate the performance of the ASFDBO algorithm, we performed a benchmark function test and a convergence analysis with other recognized metaheuristics. In addition, we verified the practical applicability of the ASFDBO algorithm in different test scenarios. Through numerical experiments, we analyze the feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm’s scheduling solutions and improvement strategies. Results indicate that our collaborative scheduling optimization, which considers both carbon and production costs, achieves feasible solutions and reduces carbon expenses. Finally, we investigate the impact of different carbon tax rates on the joint scheduling optimization of berths and quay cranes, and the results show that a reasonable carbon tax policy can effectively reduce the carbon emissions of ports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Maritime Transport Research and Port logistics)
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22 pages, 3725 KiB  
Article
A Frontier Approach to Eco-Efficiency Assessment in the World’s Busiest Sea Ports
by Muhammet Enis Bulak
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031142 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 594
Abstract
The maritime economy is at the forefront of unprecedented sustainability challenges. Addressing ecological externalities in port operations supports the decarbonization goals of the United Nations (UN) Climate Action program and port city transition towards resilient and sustainable urban units. This research brings out [...] Read more.
The maritime economy is at the forefront of unprecedented sustainability challenges. Addressing ecological externalities in port operations supports the decarbonization goals of the United Nations (UN) Climate Action program and port city transition towards resilient and sustainable urban units. This research brings out an empirical assessment of seaport performance from an eco–environmental point of sustainability with a non-parametric analysis. Most common indicators from the cross-sectoral Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) database for the 21 world’s busiest seaports are used for the analysis. This research integrates four different models with the inputs CO2 emission, electricity consumption, waste, and water consumption; and the outputs employees, revenue, and container throughput. Projection pathways are established for inefficient seaports to improve sustainability performance. The analysis shows that the seaports of Qingdao and Cartagena are the most sustainably performing seaports under the selected maritime sustainability indicators. This research supports port managers in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their operations and helps frame strategic policies toward achieving overall sustainability in the maritime industry across SDG 14 (marine ecosystem) and SDG 13 (climate mitigation) goals of the 2030 Urban Agenda. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Maritime Transport Research and Port logistics)
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15 pages, 544 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Service Quality in Passenger Transport with a Focus on Liner Maritime Passenger Transport—A Systematic Review
by Jelena Žanić Mikuličić, Ines Kolanović, Alen Jugović and Dalibor Brnos
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1125; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031125 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 985
Abstract
Every mode of passenger transport plays an important, strategic role in the lives of a country’s people, its economy, its global business, and its tourism. In today’s competitive world, passenger transport relies heavily on its performance, which in turn is determined by service [...] Read more.
Every mode of passenger transport plays an important, strategic role in the lives of a country’s people, its economy, its global business, and its tourism. In today’s competitive world, passenger transport relies heavily on its performance, which in turn is determined by service quality provided to customers. The evaluation of service quality in passenger transport is crucial to ensure acceptable quality standards for users and to improve the services offered to passengers and travelers. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the methods used to evaluate service quality in passenger transport in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, with a particular focus on liner maritime passenger transport. The results show that a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is most frequently used in the selected articles. However, the number of scientific articles dealing with this topic has increased in recent years. This shows the growing interest in analyzing service quality for a particular mode of transport. The majority of articles are assigned to the areas of Transportation, Business and Economics, Science and Technology, Environmental Sciences, etc. Future research should focus on evaluating service quality through the impact of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, including relevant factors, on service quality in passenger transport. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Maritime Transport Research and Port logistics)
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13 pages, 3502 KiB  
Article
Decarbonizing City Water Traffic: Case of Comparing Electric and Diesel-Powered Ferries
by Riina Otsason and Ulla Tapaninen
Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16170; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316170 - 21 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1245
Abstract
The maritime sector aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Consequently, shipping companies are investigating efficient and optimal ways to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. One of these measures includes vessels that operate on alternative non-carbon fuels. In this study, we compared a diesel-fuelled [...] Read more.
The maritime sector aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Consequently, shipping companies are investigating efficient and optimal ways to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. One of these measures includes vessels that operate on alternative non-carbon fuels. In this study, we compared a diesel-fuelled catamaran’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its fully electric sister vessel, which operates on the same line. This study showed that the GHG emissions of the electric vessel were only 25% of those of its diesel-powered sister vessel. However, this figure highly depends on the source of electricity in the operating country. In this case, the energy cost of the fully electric vessel was 31% cheaper than the cost of diesel energy and the payback time without possible subsidy for replacing a diesel ferry with an electric one would be 17 years and 6 months. We also showed that the additional energy from solar panels sufficiently covers several application options for consumers even in winter, when there is low solar energy production. This study brings more insight into the academic literature on decreasing maritime CO2 emissions from city water traffic. Regarding its managerial implications, our study findings can be used when shipping companies evaluate options for reducing their emissions. The results of this study show that using fully electric vessels has major benefits not only concerning carbon emissions but also financially. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Maritime Transport Research and Port logistics)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Boosting intermodal transport in port-hinterland connectivity: the case of Ligurian ports and Piedmont Region
Authors: Claudia Caballini
Affiliation: DIATI-Department of Environmental Engineering, Land and Infrastructures, Politecnico di Torino, ITALY
Abstract: In the current world of globalization and naval gigantism, an efficient and sustainable connectivity between the port and the hinterland is the key to facilitating the forwarding of goods and, at the same time, guaranteeing the environmental sustainability of the territories. Currently the logistics chains are mainly focused on road transport and this translates into high negative externalities mainly borne by the ports and neighboring territories. Congestion, traffic, noise, polluting emissions are the main ones and intermodal transport represents the key answer to address these issues. The objective of this work is to define a comparative model of transport times and costs with reference to two modal alternatives - all road and intermodal road-rail - with the ultimate aim of enhancing the connectivity of the port with its hinterland, ensuring the aspects of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The methodology was applied to a case study in north-western Italy, namely the one concerning traffic relations between the ports of western Liguria and the Piedmont hinterland. Some actions to be implemented were suggested to improve the competitiveness of intermodal transport in this territory.

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