One for the Techies. How much fuel a container ship uses

[Carltonian Man]

Container ship emits as much as 50 million cars
http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/102 ... llion-cars


and this is what the engine looks like (scroll down the site for the pictures)
http://www.emma-maersk.com/engine/Warts ... TA96-C.htm


This site works out fuel consumption of the Emma Maersk at an average of 28 feet/gallon
http://www.instructables.com/community/ ... rvice-shi/

[Cassiepod]

And yet those engines are heading for being almost twice as efficient as standard car engines in terms of getting energy form the fuel put in.... why aren't cars as efficient as those engines?

Moving anything that big is going to take ridiculously huge amount fuel.

[pumpy]

So, in the real world, how else should we move millions of tons of cargo, globally, every year?

[MKG]

Not that I'm defending ship-made emissions, but it looks to me like the majority of the data given are irrelevant. Surely the important figure is the one which isn't there - how does the fuel consumption (and therefore emissions) relate to a unit amount of commodity carried?

I suspect that someone has mixed up their criteria for the comparison. What we need to know is ...

The consumption/emission of a fully-laden ship per mile.

The number of road vehicles it would take to carry the same load.

The consumption/emission of that number of vehicles per mile.

That, I suspect, may make the picture look a little different. I may be wrong, though.

Mike

[brett53]

more to the point do we REALLY need most of the stuff thats being shipped half way round the world ?? - why cant it be made in the country its consumed in - thus providing employment for the locals etc etc etc

oh sorry i forgot - global economy - workers paid poorly - consumers want it cheap cheap cheap

silly me

[Carltonian Man]

Container ships are actually by far the most oil efficient way of moving freight long distances. I've read somewhere that to transport a kilo of rice half way round the world is cheaper in oil terms than the plastic bag that it's wrapped in, but I do wonder how much of the general cargo could be produced closer to home (I think you've struck the nail on the head there Brett).
I found it of interest to hear just how much fuel was involved, it certainly made me think more about buying local.
I hear also that there are plans in the pipeline (no pun intended) to reduce the amount of sulphur in bunker fuel, possibly by 50%.

On a similar tack check out these new schooner-type cargo luggers
http://www.ecogeek.org/wind-power/3026- ... cargo-ship

[paul123456]

Hello there ,

nice to be bombarded with such figures .But a question ,if this ship engines emmits as much as 50 mill
cars , as the site says .Also it says that it uses 1600 gallons per hour .
Me thinks that 50 million cars would use more than 1600 gallons per hour though ?Am i wrong?

And then Brett asked why all the transport , well because we spoilt buggars here in western europe
will not pay decent prices for local grown produce , and also want to consume produce from the other side of the world.

Just seen a documentary on dutch tv about the production of rice in Thailand , the poor people there get less than 30 p per hour , we stupid westerners pay happily loads for uncle bens rice , some people are making millions though and at the same time ripping of the locals over there .

Guess we are all guilty of this situation .

regards

Paul