Global Ship Capacity:Are there enough ships to protect our ports

from sea level rise?

Leigh HammelMarch 10, 2010

CEE 129

Ship Requirements

- Looking at approximately 150 ports worldwide- At least 2 specialty ships per port- Plus accessory barges and tugboats, approximate

at 3

(150 2) (3 150) 750 ships world wide

Within the US

Approximately 75 ports

We need:- 150 specialty ships- 225 accessory ships

What do we have?

• As a nation (approx): – 6200 tugboats and towboats– 3200 barges

Accessory ships ✔

http://www.canalmuseum.com/canalphotos/tugboat-08.jpg

Specialty Ships

USACE – 3Manson (SF Bay) – 4General Construction - 5Cosco (China) – 4-8

• 3 companies X fleet of 4 = 12 ships per region• Regions:– Pacific Northwest– SF Bay/Northern CA– Southern CA – Florida/Gulf of Mexico– Northeast

• Approximately 60 ships within the US 90 ship deficit

Ships around the world

• China is the next largest producer of specialty ships in the world

• If the US does not have enough ships for ourselves, and China is producing less ships, there will be a deficit there too

• Other countries with high ship production:– Netherlands– UK– Bangladesh

• These countries have less demand for specialty ships, so nationally may have a sufficient amount, but globally still a deficit

limitations

1. The majority of these ships can only lift up to 150-200 tons, this is only 1/5 of the capacity of the Oosterschelde dam’s ships

2. Requiring only 2 ships per site is a generous assumption – the Oosterchelde dam had 5

3. Replacing ships – it takes approximately two years to build new ships, and each facility can usually build 2-5 at a time