Fluctuation in Operational Energy Efficiency of Ships and Its Implications for Performance Appraisal

This paper develops a dynamic regression model to quantify the contribution of key external factors to operational energy efficiency of ships. On this basis, kernel density estimation is applied to explore distribution patterns of fluctuations in operational performance. An empirical analysis based on these methods show that distribution of fluctuations in Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI) is leptokurtic and fat tailed, rather than a normal one. Around 85% of fluctuations in EEOI can be jointly explained by capacity utilization and sailing speed, while the rest depend on other external factors largely beyond control. The variations in capacity utilization and sailing speed cannot be fully passed on to the energy efficiency performance of ships, due to complex interactions between various external factors. The application of the methods is demonstrated, showing a potential approach to develop a rating mechanism for use in the legally binding framework on operational energy efficiency of ships.