High utilisation a key factor in reducing box ship emissions

Higher levels of vessel utilisation onboard containerships has been revealed as one of the most important factors in reducing shipping emissions, according to new research published by freight intelligence platform VesselBot. VesselBot analysed 86,389 voyages by 6,523 box ships over Q2 this year and discovered that, while overall emissions measured on a well-to-wake basis grew 1.5% year on year, the increase was solely due to more feeder vessels being used, while every larger ship category saw reduced emissions. "Overall well-to-wake intensity rose 1.5%, to 231.7g CO2e per teu km. But five of the six vessel-size categories tracked in the report improved over the same period - from a 0.9% gain for panamax vessels to a 10.6% gain for the largest ships," noted the report. "Only feeders, which carried out 63.9% of all Q2 voyages, got less efficient, and that one segment's decline was enough to pull the fleet-wide number in the wrong direction." Ships of 14,000 teu and above made up just 7.4% of all voyages in the quarter, but carried 43.5% of total volumes, "accounting for only 27.4% of emissions". This is likely due to the far higher ship utilisation levels seen on deepsea trades compared with feeder services, with voyages in the most efficient emissions-intensity category averaging 80% utilisation, while the least-efficient saw just 31% utilisation. The report also revealed stark differences in emissions between vessels plying the same route with similar port rotations. For example, on the North Europe-North America transatlantic trade, the average emission intensity was 138g of CO2 per teu/km. The greenest transatlantic carrier was Hapag-Lloyd, which recorded an average well-to-wake emissions intensity of 80.7g CO2e per teu/km, 59% below the trade average, while CMA CGM was in second place with 105g CO2e per teu/km, 15% below the trade average. Hapag-Lloyd's sailings produced 31.3% less emissions than MSC voyages, which averaged 117.5g CO2e per teu/km, despite similar voyage distances and port pairs, "highlighting how operational choices can produce materially different emissions outcomes on comparable trades", noted the report, "A tradelane average tells a shipper what a route looks like on paper - it does not tell them what happened on their shipment," commented Constantine Komodromos, CEO and founder of VesselBot. "On the Northern Europe to North America East Coast tradelane, we observed a 31.3% efficiency gap between carriers for the route, despite similar voyage distances and port pairs. "Distance alone cannot explain that spread; the difference is in how those voyages were executed," he added. He said a similar pattern was seen at the global fleet level: "A fleet-wide number moving 1.5% in the wrong direction suggests the industry lost ground this quarter, but five of the six vessel-size segments actually became more efficient. "Feeders moved in the opposite direction, and because they accounted for nearly two-thirds of all voyages, were enough to pull the aggregate number higher. "That is the risk of managing to an average; it can point you in the opposite direction of what is actually happening," explained Mr Komodromos.

CH Robinson warns of Asia cargo capacity shortages

CH Robinson has warned its customers to expect capacity shortages on certain lanes out of Asia in the second half of September. The forwarder said that quarter-end shipments, technology-related cargo, and a pre-holiday export push could "narrow departure options during the second half of the month", particularly on the transpacific and Asia-Europe trade lanes. There will also be an export push ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival at the end of the month and China's National Day holiday from 1-7 October. The company added that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to affect airspace availability and routing decisions. "Expect booking pressure to build during the middle of September and intensify ahead of the holiday period," CH Robinson said. "On affected Asia origins, the first indication of tightening may be earlier cutoffs and fewer workable flight options rather than an immediate market-wide rate increase." However, the company added that the tightening of capacity in September does not reflect a broad-based increase in general cargo demand, other than AI infrastructure. The biggest impact will be on services out of China, CH Robinson said, with market conditions outside of China depending on how airlines adjust freighter rotations or commercial allocations toward major China gateways. "Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand should therefore be treated as origin-specific watchpoints," the forwarder said. "Each may see quarter-end or technology-related demand, but the timing and degree will vary. Belly capacity, airline allocations, local cargo mix, and gateway performance will determine which origins tighten first." General cargo will be the first affected by a tightening of capacity, with later flights or less direct services a likely outcome. Rates are also likely to rise: "On affected Asia export lanes, spot rates could begin to firm from mid-September as preferred flights fill," the forwarder added. "The change is unlikely to be uniform. Rates may rise first on the most sought-after flights rather than across every departure on the route."

DSV expands air cargo pharma product with Shanghai connection

Freight forwarder DSV is expanding its end-to-end pharma service Air ThermoDirect to include flights between Luxembourg and Shanghai Pudong. The pharma service is offered on multiple departures on dedicated freighter aircraft, with DSV controlling the scheduling, routing, and cargo handling to ensure greater reliability. The new connection will utilise Eastern Air Logistics' (EAL) specialised ground handling facilities in Shanghai and is further strengthened by ground handling agent partner China Eastern Logistics Cold Chain, which will provide "dedicated cold chain expertise and infrastructure". The company also plans to add a link between Indianapolis International Airport and Shanghai in the future. Kenneth Kallström, executive vice president, global enterprise vertical head, healthcare, said: "This is not just an expansion of our temperature-controlled network. It is a strategic gateway to Greater China and the broader Asian market. "DSV is helping customers improve supply chain efficiency, reduce operating costs, and ensure the integrity of critical healthcare products across one of the world's fastest-growing regions. "Through our sustainable reusable thermal packaging programme, we are reducing packaging waste and improving the environmental performance of cold chain logistics." The forwarder said that Shanghai Pudong serves as a key hub for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical cargo and plays a central role in connecting international manufacturers with the Asian healthcare market. "By expanding its presence at PVG, DSV strengthens its ability to support both inbound and outbound pharmaceutical flows with consistent, high-quality handling," DSV explained. The additional lane is the second expansion of the Air ThermoDirect service this year after the forwarder launched a new Luxembourg (LUX) to Indianapolis International (IND) pharma air route in June. Indianapolis is one of the US' fastest-growing life sciences and healthcare logistics hubs.