Anchorage
A place in the ocean where ships can lower their anchors and stay a while.
Glossary
A
B
Ballast Water Management
The process of managing the water carried in ships’ ballast tanks to ensure stability, while preventing the transfer of invasive species to new environments.
C
Chartering
The process of renting a vessel or space on a vessel to transport cargo, typically governed by a charter party agreement.
Cold Ironing
A process where ships turn off their engines while docked and rely on shore power to reduce emissions.
D
Deadweight Tonnage (DWT)
A measure of a ship’s total carrying capacity, including cargo, fuel, passengers, and crew.
E
Emission Control Area (ECA)
Specific areas where stricter emission standards for sulfur and nitrogen oxides apply to ships to reduce air pollution.
Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI)
A metric used to assess the energy efficiency of a ship’s operation in terms of CO₂ emissions per cargo transported per nautical mile.
F
Fleet management optimisation
The practice of enhancing fleet performance and fleet management quality throughout its entire life cycle—from financing to compliance, maintenance, driver supervision, and more.
Fleet management system
A ship fleet management system is designed to monitor and manage a fleet of ships through performance data, maintenance tracking, and operational reporting.
G
Green Corridors
Specific shipping routes where sustainable practices are implemented to significantly reduce carbon emissions.
H
Hinterland Connectivity
Infrastructure and logistics systems that link ports to inland regions, facilitating the movement of goods and reducing congestion.
I
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The UN agency responsible for regulating international shipping, including safety, security, and environmental standards.
J
Just-in-time (JIT)
An organizational strategy in which materials or shipments arrive exactly when needed to reduce waste and storage costs.
K
L
LNG Bunkering
The process of refueling ships with liquefied natural gas, a cleaner alternative to traditional marine fuels.
M
Maritime Single Window (MSW)
A digital platform for submitting all required ship, cargo, and crew information to public authorities.
N
O
Open-Loop Scrubber
A system that removes sulfur oxides from exhaust gases using seawater, though controversial due to environmental discharge.
P
Particulate Matter (PM)
Tiny particles in the air that can enter the lungs and cause serious health issues, especially PM2.5.
Port Call Optimisation (PCO)
A strategy to reduce environmental impact and improve safety during ship calls at ports.
Port Community Systems (PCS)
An electronic platform connecting various stakeholders in a port community for efficient data sharing.
Port of Call
An intermediate stop for a ship on its journey between the port of origin and the final destination.
Port State Control (PSC)
Inspection of foreign ships in national ports to ensure compliance with international safety and environmental regulations.
Q
R
Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo)
Ships designed to carry wheeled cargo that is driven on and off the vessel using ramps.
S
Sail-fast-then-wait (SFTW)
A practice where ships travel at high speed and wait outside ports, leading to inefficiencies.
Ship Performance System
A system that collects and transmits ship operational data to improve energy management and performance monitoring.
Slow Steaming
Operating ships at reduced speeds to lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Supply Chain Decarbonisation
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the maritime supply chain using cleaner fuels and technologies.
T
Terminal Operating Systems (TOS)
Digital systems for managing cargo movement, vessel logistics, and operations at terminals.
U
Ultra-Large Container Vessel (ULCV)
The largest type of container ships, capable of carrying over 20,000 TEUs, requiring specialized port infrastructure.
Ultra-Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (ULSFO)
A marine fuel with sulfur content ≤ 0.1%, used to comply with emission regulations.
Underwater Noise Pollution
Disruptive noise from ships and maritime activity that affects marine life communication and behavior.
V
VISIR
A numerical model for ship voyage planning using dynamic meteo-oceanographic data, available as open-source software.
