Isle of Man Joint Branch Event: Slow Steaming

Please see the below for information on your next Isle of Man Joint Branch Presentation: 

Is slow steaming the answer to global shipping emissions? 

An event by the RINA & IMarEST Isle of Man Joint Branch

23 March 2026

Isle of Man

Location: The Legion Hall, Douglas

Presenter: David Wing, Houlder

About the event: One of the most common routes to compliance with modern emissions control regulations is to limit engine power. Slow steaming is a cheap and practical way to reduce emissions per cargo-mile. Both of these approaches reduce emissions but take the overall ship design away from its most efficient design point. While slow steaming can lower emissions, the easy gains can also deter investments in a more ambitious long-term sustainability strategy. Focussing on the regulatory drivers, which are not always aligned to real world operations, limits the real-world fuel savings that could be achieved from a broader look at ship efficiency. 

For slow steaming to be a successful sustainability strategy, checking assumptions about fuel savings and understanding the ship’s sweet spots should be the minimum that is undertaken. Fortunately, a new generation of efficient computational fluid dynamics analysis based on the latest digital twin technology can help to realise a more ambitious long-term sustainability strategy. Optimised power generation, hydrodynamic improvements, operational validation, and human elements all play a part in modern ship design.

This presentation will introduce some technical issues around modern efficiency regulations and present a number of case studies illustrating how a wider view of ship design can take emission reductions much further than the quick wins from slow steaming.

About the speaker: 

David is a Chartered Naval Architect, now working as Director of Ship Design & Engineering at Houlder. His career began at QinetiQ’s Haslar site with a focus on the hydrodynamic performance of warships and naval auxiliaries before joining Lloyd’s Register’s Structural Analysis and Hydrodynamics team in Southampton. In 2015 David joined Houlder, and was promoted to Director of Ship Design and Engineering in 2019. David leads Houlder’s Naval Architecture team with responsibility for technical output across multi-disciplinary projects.

David’s current role combines client advisory services, project leadership and technical naval architecture for a variety of floating assets. His recent experience includes coordinating the outline concept design of a 20,000m³ liquified hydrogen carrier, acting as the client’s representative for a series of four high-speed catamaran passenger vessels, and working as the lead Naval Architect on behalf of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company during the initial design, tendering, and construction of Manxman.

Please book attendance here.

All are welcome to attend.