Understanding Agility as a Parameter for Fuel-Flexible Ships

With the need for low-emission maritime transport solutions, ship owners and designers face uncertainty and unpredictability when it comes to the selection of fuel today and in the future. The effects of this unpredictability can be mitigated to a certain extent by fuel-flexible ships. In the light of flexibility, both agility and affordability, i.e. the time and cost of changes, are important parameters to be considered in the early design phase. We apply and discuss these parameters and their consequences for both existing flexible solutions and new ship design alternatives.