Before delving into the world of maritime transport, it is essential to understand that ships are an essential engineering work for the global economy. Over the centuries, they have evolved to the point of being surprisingly sophisticated, benefiting logistical activities related to passenger and cargo transport, or strictly military purposes.

Starting with the first sail or oar-powered watercraft constructions in Antiquity by Greece and Egypt (6th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC), through the constructions of the 17th century under the ingenuity of the English and French, who innovated with the well-known frigates and corvettes used in numerous military confrontations, or smaller vessels such as schooners and cutters used for cargo transport, especially in fishing production, up to the advances in steamships developed in the 19th century by the English once again.

At the end of the 19th century, the Germans advanced in what was called the combustion engine (internal combustion engines). More recently, specifically in the last decades of the 20th century, there were significant innovations in the United States regarding the atomic engine for speeding up the operations of merchant ships, constituting a legacy of works of great importance in terms of vessel advancements. This last element, related to the creation of engines powered by atomic or nuclear energy, has a significant aspect in that the vessel has the capacity to sail for two years without the need for refueling, in contrast to the 40-day capacity of a vessel powered by diesel engines.

It is well known that maritime transportation is a less expensive and significantly higher capacity means of transportation than land or air transportation. Although it is less speedy, companies save immense amounts of money by using it. However, it is very important that business logistics precisely determine which type of vessel is the most suitable to fully meet previously set strategic objectives. Similarly, knowing that there have been substantial improvements in the types and sizes of vessels in the last 40 years allows for an increased range of possibilities and options to meet the needs of shipping or receiving inputs, raw materials, or finished products.

For example, the most important types of ships in a scenario where greater effectiveness is desired can be mentioned:

Container ships: Responsible for transporting standard-sized containers and in ports specially equipped for them. These are vessels that can sail at high speeds (approximately 21 knots).

Bulk carriers: Unlike the aforementioned, they travel at a slower speed of approximately 13 knots. These are vessels designed to transport what is known as “dry cargo”: sugar, fertilizers, grains, coal, minerals, etc. For this type of ship, very specific ports have been built with the appropriate equipment and personnel to proceed with unloading operations.

General cargo and oversized ships: These are vessels that can transport loads that exceed the weight and size capacities of standard equipment (prefabricated pieces for the aerospace industry, construction sector, vehicles, tractors or industrial machinery, rails, cranes, among others). Since the cargo is transported outside of containers, specific regulations and rules must be complied with.

Refrigerated or temperature-controlled ships: As their name indicates, these are vessels that have the capacity to transport goods that must remain at low temperatures: fish, meats, or some liquors.

Multi-purpose ships: An innovation that has become very popular as it has the capacity to transport different types of products. With the multi-purpose transport mode, companies do not have to pay extra fees by using specialized vessels.

Focusing on the use of container ships, there are currently different types that can be appreciated. As is known, they have been designed to transport containers, facilitating the distribution processes of goods in the current globalized economy. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Ever Ace ship: Although it is an assembly in South Korea, its owner is the Taiwanese company, Evergreen Marine. Since July of last year (2021), it has been positioned as the world’s largest container ship, measuring 399.9 meters long and 61.5 meters wide.

HMM Algeciras: The second-largest container ship in the world, also created in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. It measures 61.0 meters in width and 399.9 meters in length (similar to the Ever Ace). It is essentially a vessel with an advanced engine that allows for reduced carbon emissions, fully increasing its energy efficiency.

HMM Oslo: With a width of 61.5 meters and a length of 399.9 meters, it is a ship that made its first voyage in 2020 from South Korea to the United Kingdom, passing through several ports in China, Singapore, and Rotterdam, Netherlands.

MSC Gulsün: The largest container ship until 2019; (399.9 meters long and 61.5 meters wide) also produced in South Korea, by Samsung Heavy Industries, but its loading system was designed by the Finnish company MacGregor International AB. It is basically a very efficient vessel for storing cargo and for reducing global carbon emissions in the long term.

MSC Mina: Primarily used for transporting frozen or refrigerated cargo: food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, perishables, among others, is owned by the Italian company, Mediterranean Shipping Company and was built in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Technologies. It has the capacity to transport 2000 refrigerated containers.

CMA CGM Jacques Saadé: It is known as the world’s largest container ship that runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its storage capacity is 18,600 cubic meters, which allows for a round trip from northern Europe to Southeast Asia. China is responsible for its manufacturing, specifically the State Shipbuilding Corporation of Shanghai, and its owner is the French container transport company: CMA CGM Group.

More recently, specifically on April 16 of this year, the Cosco Shipping Nebula made its debut climbing at the Iberian terminal of the port of Valencia (Spain). It is known as the largest container ship that has operated in a port in the mentioned country to date and was built in the Jiangnan shipyards (Shanghai) with a length from bow to stern of 400 meters.

Knowing that new vessel projects focus on the implementation of a type of fuel capable of not emitting greenhouse gases, such as the Grimaldi Green 5Th Generation’s next-generation ships, which use lithium batteries, or the Norwegian “With Orca” zero-emission ships design, is very important, as these innovations comply with the Paris Accords, studying the possibility of reducing total annual CO2 emissions by 50% by the year 2050. In the same sense, it is good to know that future naval technology must focus on the production, supply, and refueling of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, ethanol, liquefied biogas, electric and wind batteries, which are being developed in Europe and Asia, investigating new modes of vessels, whether larger or smaller.

In conclusion, the choice of the appropriate vessel within the framework of the strategies that must be followed to proceed with shipments of goods is essential in the design of integral logistics. This choice, understanding their diversity, will allow not only the best shipping route to be determined but also the appropriate means of transportation to preserve and optimize the status of the goods that are to be transported to other destinations.