Digital queueing system cuts emissions in California Ports. (Photo: Port of Los Angeles)
A low-cost digital solution is having an outsized impact on carbon emissions.
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California have adopted a vessel queuing system, similar to OpenTable’s reservation model, to manage incoming ships. This has not only eased port congestion at a relatively low cost but also enabled global shipping companies to cut emissions by more than 20%. And the system was developed and launched in under a month.
Ports introduce queueing system to predict arrival times
A study from the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara, revealed that the queuing system, introduced in 2021 at Southern California’s busiest ports, reduced emissions on trans-Pacific shipping routes by up to 24%.
The system works by tracking when each container ship departs its previous port, estimating its arrival time at Southern California, and assigning berth slots accordingly. With a scheduled time to dock, captains can optimize their speed and avoid racing to ports or idling offshore—both major sources of excess emissions.
Previously, Los Angeles and Long Beach operated under a century-old “first-come, first-served” rule. Ships would rush to arrive first, only to cluster offshore waiting for a berth, often for weeks, creating significant congestion and inefficiencies.
Lead researcher Rachel Rhodes highlighted a key advantage of the new system and said it doesn’t require advanced technology and relies on readily available tools to reduce shipping emissions effectively.
The system’s annual operating cost is about $300,000, and it will remain in use at least through 2027. Most of the technology leverages existing voyage-tracking systems already installed on large vessels. The full design and deployment took just 27 days.
Long Beach operated under a century-old “first-come, first-served” rule, leading many vessels to race ahead and idle offshore, generating excess carbon emissions. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Low-cost tool helps cut emissions and shifts century-old tradition
Shipping accounts for 3% of global carbon emissions—comparable to Japan’s annual output.
As the world pushes toward net-zero and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) tightens its regulations, shipping companies are exploring solutions like carbon capture, biofuels, and next-gen vessels. However, most are costly, immature, and offer only incremental reductions.
Beyond Los Angeles and Long Beach, the Port of Oakland also adopted the scheduling system in 2022. The Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands has implemented similar technology. Yet, experts warn that replicating this success isn’t easy.
Valerie Thomas, an industrial engineering professor at Georgia Tech, noted the system was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when congestion relief—not emissions—was the primary goal. Under normal conditions, ports would have little leverage to mandate slower sailing speeds.
Rhodes also observed that four smaller ports along the U.S. West Coast saw emission reductions during the same period, despite not adopting new scheduling systems. This suggests that multiple factors influence emissions in the shipping sector.
Source: Bloomberg, Science Direct
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