THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MARITIME FREIGHT MODELING FRAMEWORK WITH AN APPLICATION IN LNG SHIPPING

Abstract

The dynamic, expansive, and integrated nature of global maritime freight transportation systems motivates the need for modeling tools that can effectively evaluate a highly diverse assortment of maritime freight systems and markets. This thesis presents the development and implementation of a generic maritime freight transportation model that can be used to analyze a wide variety of maritime freight transportation systems and problems. The model was implemented into an MS Excel VBA program tool as a means of demonstrating the capabilities and use of the generic model. This tool was then used in a case study involving LNG shipping. The objective of the case study was to assess the effects of the Panama Canal tariff on an emergent LNG trade between the Gulf of Mexico and the Asia-Pacific region. The case study and discussions show that the model provides a sufficient core framework for maritime transportation systems, but has weaknesses in stake holder definition and available data compatibility. The core functionality that allows the model to represent a wide variety of problem types is its ability to very specifically or broadly define the entities within a transport system.