Analysis of decision-making processes of turkish ship owning companies for implementing energy efficiency medhods in ships

The effective implementation of energy efficiency methods in ships has become increasingly an important issue for both environmental and economic factors. Widespread using of energy efficiency methods in ships and reduction of 〖CO〗_2 emissions from ships are among the primary agenda items of maritime industry. When the situation is evaluated in terms of the ship owning companies, reducing the fuel costs that constitute the most important expenditure item for the companies will be possible by implementing energy efficiency methods in ships. This study aims to determine the criteria affecting the decisions of the Turkish ship owning companies regarding the implementation of the methods that provide energy efficiency in ships and their evaluations about the methods in the light of these criteria. Firstly; a focus group study has been conducted to determine the criteria that affect the decisions of the Turkish ship owning companies regarding the implementation of the methods that provide energy efficiency in ships. A questionnaire has been created in the light of the data obtained. The questionnaire form has been tested with face-to-face pilot surveys with ship owning companies. As a result of the pilot survey; the criteria affecting the decision process and the methods to be included in the research have been clarified. With the final form of the questionnaire; face-to-face surveys have been carried out with representatives of the ship owning companies. The surveys include twenty four participants who work in the administrative levels of the ship owning companies. Both quantitative and qualitative data have been collected. Quantitative data have been analyzed by using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy TOPSIS methods. The data obtained have been categorized and analyzed according to business characteristics. As a result of the study; the importance levels of the criteria affecting the decision processes and performance values of energy efficiency methods have been revealed in the light of these criteria. The findings obtained as a result of quantitative methods have been evaluated together with the qualitative data that reflect the opinions and experiences of the ship owning companies. According to the findings obtained by taking the average of the evaluations made by all participants, the most important three criteria have been "practicability level in terms of easiness of planning, supplying and installing process, "practicability level in terms of easiness of operational procedures" and "payback period performance". The first three methods taken the highest performance values according to the criteria have been "hull cleaning", "propeller cleaning/polishing" and "general speed reduction/optimization".