The Big Pinch: International Shipping, Fuel and Oil Prices

Petroleum has been the fuel of choice for powering ships for more than a century now, supplanting coal as a source for operating steam boilers just as diesel engines have mainly replaced steam engines. The term bunker refers to the containers used to store the oil aboard boats.

Increasing fuel costs have led to greater attention being given to fuel management techniques and improvements in technology have allowed greater oversight to be possible. Bunkers are now supplied with sensors that constantly monitor fuel use and enable the crew to make decisions on motor speed and course corrections that may impact fuel usage rates. These instruments also allow authorities to closely monitor any spillage that may happen. The system has substantially reduced loss and pollution that used to result from overfilling tanks and has also cut down on pilferage. Boat exhausts constitute a vital generator of global totals for emission of both nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, two frustrating pollutants. The sulfur content in bunker fuel tends to be large, offering port cities significant problems regarding air quality and health taking into consideration the adverse effects sulphur has on respiratory systems, especially of the young and the very old. This removes the need for ships to keep their engines running whilst in port, while preserving each of the electrical systems that ships employ. Manufacturers of boat engines continue to focus on making their engines run more efficiently in order to lower fuel use. Increasing oil costs demand that they continue to accomplish that. Regulating accelerator speed is the primary means the crew can apply for saving fuel as soon as the ship is in motion. Wind and currents can significantly alter fuel consumption so captains will try to establish a path that enables the least impediment to go. This has been aided by improvements in communications that enable greater observation of weather conditions, in addition to GPS devices that monitor the exact location of the boat. All the tips might be cataloged on the computer that assesses the data and pinpoints the exact rpm rate that will give the greatest level of fuel economy.