Faster, 60% Farther: Bunker Consumption Soars for Ships on Far East to Mediterranean Route

Boxship bunker consumption on the rise. File Image. Image Credit: Ship & Bunker.

Bunker consumption for containerships on the Far East to Mediterranean route has risen sharply in Q1 of 2024 as a result on increased vessel speeds and rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope.

As has been well documented in these pages, since December box ships have been avoiding the Suez Canal due to the threat of attack by Houthis, opting instead to travel via the southern top of Africa.

The result, according to the latest analysis by Xeneta, is that ships plying the route during 2024 Q1 on average not only travelled over 60% farther, they also increased speed in an effort to offset the longer overall journey time.

This caused carbon emissions on the route to increase by 63%.

It was a similar story for vessels travelling from the Far East into North Europe, where carbon emissions increased by 23%.

The analysis is part of the Xeneta and Marine Benchmark Carbon Emissions Index (CEI), which measures carbon emissions per ton of cargo transported across the world’s top 13 trades.

"Containers being shipped to the Mediterranean from the Far East travelled 9,400 nautical miles on average in Q4 before the escalation in the Red Sea. They are now sailing an additional 5,800 nautical miles due to diversions around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, with the inevitable consequence of more fuel being burned," said Xeneta Market Analyst Emily Stausbøll.

"Ships are also being sailed at higher speeds in an attempt to make up time due to the longer distances, which again results in more carbon being burned."