New trends in boats

Before approaching the world of maritime transport, it is essential to understand that ships are an essential piece of engineering for the planetary economy. Over the centuries, their evolution has improved to the point of evolving to the point of surprisingly benefiting logistical activities, whether related to the transport of passengers, goods or for strictly war purposes.

From the first constructions of sailing or rowing boats, made in Antiquity by Greece and Egypt (6th, 3rd and 2nd centuries) to the constructions of the 17th century under the ingenuity of the English and French, which came to innovate with the well-known frigates and corvettes, used in numerous military confrontations, or those smaller ships: brigantines and schooners, for the transport of goods, especially for tasks associated with fishing production, we reach the advances of steamships, developed in the nineteenth century, whose mentors are again the English.

In the late nineteenth century, the Germans advanced in what was called the explosion engine (internal combustion engines) and more recently, specifically in the last decades of the twentieth century in the United States, there were important innovations with respect to the atomic engine, to streamline the work of merchant ships, constituting a legacy of works of great importance as far as advances in ships are concerned. This last element, related to the creation of engines driven by atomic or nuclear energy, has as a transcendental aspect that the vessel has the capacity to be sailing for two years without needing refueling, which contrasts with the 40 days of capacity that a vessel powered by diesel engines could have.

It is well known that maritime transport is a less costly and significantly higher capacity mode of transport than land or air transport. Although it is less fast, companies save enormous amounts of money in its use. However, it is very important for business logistics to determine precisely which type of vessel is the most appropriate to fully comply with the strategic objectives previously outlined. Likewise, knowing that in the last 40 years there have been substantial improvements in the types and sizes of vessels, allows to increase the range of possibilities and options to meet the needs of shipping or receiving inputs, raw materials or finished products.

As an example, we can mention the most important types of vessels in a scenario in which the aim is to achieve greater effectiveness:

Container vessels: In charge of transporting standard size containers and in specially equipped ports. These are vessels that can navigate at high speeds (approximately 21 knots).

Cargo ships: Unlike those already mentioned, they travel at a slower speed of approximately 13 knots. They are vessels designed to transport what is called "dry cargo": sugar, fertilizers, grains, coal, minerals, etc. For this type of vessels, very specific ports have been built with the appropriate equipment and personnel to carry out the unloading work.

General and oversized cargo vessels: These are vessels that can transport cargo that exceeds in weight and measurements the capacities of standard equipment (prefabricated parts for the aeronautical industry, construction sector, vehicles, tractors or industrial machinery, rails, cranes, among others). As the cargo is transported outside the containers, it is required to comply with specific rules and regulations.

Refrigerated or temperature-controlled vesselsAs their name indicates, these are vessels that have the capacity to transport goods that must remain at low temperatures: fish, meat or some liquors. 

Multipurpose vessels: An innovation that has become very popular as it has the capacity to transport different types of products. With multipurpose transportation, companies do not have to pay extra for the use of specialized vessels.

In terms of the use of container ships, we can currently appreciate different types. As we know, they have been designed to transport containers, facilitating the distribution of goods in today's globalized economy. Let's see some of them:

Ever Ace VesselAlthough it is a vessel assembled in South Korea, its owner is the Taiwanese company Evergreen Marine. Since July last year (2021), it has been positioned as the largest container ship in the world, measuring 399.9 meters long and 61.5 meters wide.

 HMM Agleciras: The second largest container ship in the world and also created in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. It measures 61.0 meters wide and 399.9 meters long (similar to the Ever Ace). In essence, it is a vessel with an advanced engine that reduces carbon emissions, fully increasing its energy efficiency.

HMM OsloHMM Oslo: With a width of 61.5 meters and a length of 399.9 meters, this is a vessel that made its maiden voyage in 2020 from South Korea to the United Kingdom, passing through several ports in China, in Singapore and Rotterdant, the Netherlands.

MSC Gulsün: The largest container ship until 2019; (399.9 meters long and 61.5 meters wide) equally produced in South Korea, by the company, Samsung Heavy Industries, but its cargo system was designed by the Finnish company MacGregor International AB. It is basically a very efficient vessel to store cargo and to reduce global carbon emission in the long term.

MSC Mina: Fundamentally used to transport frozen or refrigerated cargo: food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, perishables, among others, it is owned by the Italian company, Mediterranean Shipping Company and was built in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Technologies. It has the capacity to transport 2000 reefer containers.

CMA CGM Jacques Saadé: It is known as the largest container worldwide that runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its storage capacity is 18,600 cubic meters, which allows it to fulfill a round trip from Northern Europe to Southeast Asia. China is responsible for its manufacture, specifically the State Shipbuilding Corporation of Shanghai, and its owner is the French company that transports containers: CMA CGM Group.

More recently, specifically last April 16 of this year, the Cosco Shipping Nebulamade its debut call at the Iberian terminal of the port of Valencia (Spain). It is known as the largest container ship that to date has operated in a port of that country and was built in the shipyard of Jiangnan, (Shanghai) possessing a length from bow to stern of 400 meters.

Knowing that new ship projects are focused on the implementation of a type of fuel capable of not emitting greenhouse gases, as is the case of the new generation ships Grimaldi Green 5Th Generation, which use lithium batteries, or the design of Norwegian ships "With Orca" zero emissions, is very important, since these innovations are in line with the Paris Agreements, studying the possibility of reducing the total annual emissions of Co2 by 50% in view of the year 2050. In the same sense, it is good to know that future naval technology should focus on the production, supply and refueling of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, ethanol, liquefied biogas, electric and wind batteries, which are being developed in Europe and Asia, being investigated in this, new types of vessels, whether larger or smaller.

To conclude, the choice of the right vessel within the framework of the strategies to be followed to proceed with the shipment of goods is an indispensable matter in the design of integrated logistics. Such a choice, including their diversity, will make it possible to determine not only the best shipping route, but also the appropriate means of transport to preserve and optimize the status of the goods to be moved to other destinations.