Toward green container liner shipping: joint optimization of heterogeneous fleet deployment, speed optimization, and fuel bunkering

Abstract Container liner shipping companies, under the international shipping carbon reduction indicators proposed by the International Maritime Organization, must transform two key aspects: technology and operations. This paper defines a green liner shipping problem (GLSP) that integrates the deployment of a heterogeneous fleet, speed determination, and fuel bunkering. The objective is to achieve low‐carbon operations in liner shipping, taking into consideration the diversification of power systems, the use of alternative fuels in ships, and the continuous improvement of alternative fuel bunkering systems. For this purpose, we present a bi‐objective mixed integer nonlinear programming model and develop two methodologies: an epsilon‐constraint approach and a heuristic‐based multi‐objective genetic algorithm. We validate the effectiveness of our model and methods through a case study involving container ships of various sizes deployed on intra‐Asian short sea routes by SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd. The experimental results highlight the crucial role of dual‐fuel (DF) ships in the pursuit of low‐carbon strategies by liner companies, with liquefied natural gas and ammonia DF ships being the most widely used. Additionally, fuel cell (FC) ships, particularly those powered by ammonia and hydrogen, demonstrate significant carbon reduction potential. Furthermore, ships with larger container capacities have a greater cost advantage. For the GLSP, speed determination is an auxiliary decision, and the lowest speed is not necessarily the optimal choice. Decision‐makers must carefully balance competing economic and carbon emission reduction objectives, as deploying more alternative fuel ships may increase fuel bunkering and fuel consumption, resulting in a higher total operating cost.