An epsilon-optimal algorithm considering greenhouse gas emissions for the management of a ship’s bunker fuel

► Determine the optimum ship speed, bunkering ports, and amounts of bunker fuel. ► Suggest an epsilon-optimal algorithm by deriving a property. ► The algorithm is illustrated using typical sample data. ► Ship time costs play the most important role in reducing CO 2 emissions. This paper provides an algorithm to minimize the fixed ordering, purchase, and inventory-carrying costs associated with bunker fuel together with ship time costs; and environmental costs associated with greenhouse gas emissions. It determines the optimum ship speed, bunkering ports, and amounts of bunker fuel for a given ship’s route. To solve the problem, we use an epsilon-optimal algorithm by deriving a property. The algorithm is illustrated by applying it to typical sample data obtained and the effects of bunker prices, carbon taxes, and ship time costs on the ship speed are analyzed. The results indicate that the ship speed and CO 2 emissions are highly sensitive to the factors considered.