Climate & Environment
Slow Steaming
Definition
Slow steaming is the practice of operating vessels at speeds significantly below design speed to reduce fuel consumption. Because power demand rises roughly with the cube of speed, modest speed reductions yield large fuel and emissions savings — typically 10–30% reductions for a few knots' reduction — at the cost of longer voyage times, offset by deploying additional vessels on a route.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Slow Steaming” is defined and used.
Source imported for editorial provenance.
Overview
How it is used
The concept structures liner schedule design, charter party clauses, IMO carbon intensity compliance and analysis of shipping's near-term abatement potential.
Why it matters
Slow steaming is the standing proof that how ships are operated matters as much as what powers them — the cheapest emissions on the water are the ones never burned.