In accordance with the classification of
maritime transportation planning problems into strategic, tactical, and
operational that is presented by Christiansen et al.3,
it is worth noting that ship speed pervades all three levels of planning
problems. In strategic planning, ship speed size is considered in the
determination of ship hauling capacity. In tactical planning, ship speed
lies at the core of ship routing and scheduling. In operational
planning, ship speed needs to be determined, so as to meet due weather
constraints for arrival at ports as planned along ship routes. In
addition to the importance of ship speed in the economics of maritime
transportation, in view of the fact that ship fuel consumption rate is
dependent on ship speed, environmental considerations, in the way of
greenhouse gas emissions that have become an increasingly important
consideration in the last few decades, have added another dimension to
the role of ship speed in maritime transportation planning
problems12.