Maersk is engaged in the energy intensive transport and oil and gas industries, so our energy consumption is substantial.
It takes energy to operate our ships, and it takes energy to extract oil and gas. Various factors, such as the depth and the types of reservoirs the oil is extracted from, determine how much energy is used when extracting oil and gas. It is particularly difficult to lower energy consumption from production activities that take place at mature fields.
In our transport segment, we have achieved good results with initiatives to boost efficiency on our ships, especially the large types. A basic rule of thumb is that the larger our ships are, the less fuel they consume per transported unit.
Shipping is the most energy friendly mode of transport
The largest share of the energy we consume is in the form of fuel. In 2008, we consumed just over 13 million tonnes of fuel across the Group – a 5% reduction from 2007. Most of our fuel consumption (about 95%) is consumed by ocean-going ships, and as the world’s largest container shipping company, our total CO2 emissions are significant.
Shipping is the most common form of transport in the world today – in fact, 90% of the world’s goods are shipped by sea. Compared to aircraft, trucks and trains, ships emit substantially less CO2 per km when transporting 1,000 kg and are the world’s most environmentally friendly form of transport (see comparison graphic below).
The most recent study of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from the shipping industry was carried out by the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO). The study suggests that around 4% of global energy-related CO2 emissions stem from shipping. Through years of careful attention, we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions on our vessels, putting Maersk Line and Safmarine ahead of the industry average. Yet we believe there is still room for improvement, and we will continue to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in the years to come.
During 2008, our transport segment consumed about 12 million tonnes of bunker fuel (heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil), leading to some 39 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Environmental initiatives go hand in hand with financial benefits, since the less fuel we use, the less CO2 we emit. This is good for the environment and it’s good for business. And it gives us several reasons to improve our efficiency. Some of the initiatives we have taken are:
- A Waste Heat Recovery System, which saves 8–10% fuel at optimum conditions, has been implemented on 32 ships in total, of which 6 were fitted with the system in 2008, making Maersk the world’s leading shipping company in this area.
- Slow Steaming, which we have introduced on a large number of Maersk Line and Safmarine’s routes. Reducing speed by 5–10% does increase the number of days at sea, but it also reduces both fuel consumption and CO2 emission by more than 15%.
- The Quest project, which involves installing software in containers to reduce energy consumption for cooling, has been remarkably effective in reducing CO2 emissions. At the end of 2008, 69% of Maersk Line and Safmarine’s reefer fleet was equipped with Quest software, generating CO2 reductions equivalent to 260,000 tonnes per year
- Optimised voyage planning is an essential tool for cutting emissions. The Voyage Efficiency System (VES), a Maersk-developed voyage planning programme, is used on all large ships to identify the most fuel efficient route, and a “just in time” strategy is employed to keep engine loads at a minimum.