Ulf Siwe, head of the Efficient Flow project, explains how this new system could lastingly change global shipping.
The maritime transport of “bulk” goods represents more than 60% of global transit, compared to 10% for container transport. It is therefore responsible for the majority of carbon emissions from the maritime transport sector.
“Container shipping already works with time slots […] but bulk shipping has a different model,” explains Ulf Siwe, head of the European Efficient Flow project.
“They have a first-come, first-served model. Ships race to port and those who do not arrive first must wait. So it’s a rush-and-wait activity, which isn’t very good for the environment.”
As part of this project, the Port of Gävle is now applying the slot model to wholesale shipping.
“It’s about breaking the ‘first come, first served’ principle and changing the entire structure of the wholesale shipping industry. Gävle is the first city in the world to do so,” concludes Ulf Siwe.
