Maersk wins award for super slow steaming initiative

Maersk Line, Denmark, has been named Sustainable Shipping Operator of The Year for its reductions in energy consumption and emissions. The award, presented by Sustainable Shipping at a ceremony in London on July 15, was given to Maersk Line in recognition of its efforts in reducing the environmental impact of its business operations.

Maersk Line proved that two-stroke engines on container vessels were able to run continuously at low loads ensuring a more flexible and energy-efficient vessel operation. In 2007, Maersk Line initiated a study on 110 vessels which showed that despite traditional policy of 40 to 60 percent as minimum engine load, it was safe to go as low as ten percent.