> An autonomous ship/barge though doesn't need speed
The underlying problem for all this is the time value of money/capital.
I recall someone arguing that we could drop sea-cargo CO2 emissions by a third if the boats went a quarter slower... But the opportunity cost of that extra time is significant.
There's an initiative to do this without opportunity cost, as currently ships follow a "hurry up and wait" schedule because if they happen to miss a connection they bear all the costs. Simply agreeing to share the costs for ocatisional missed deadlines means everyone can go slower, save fuel as well as carbon and share the benefits.
The underlying problem for all this is the time value of money/capital.
I recall someone arguing that we could drop sea-cargo CO2 emissions by a third if the boats went a quarter slower... But the opportunity cost of that extra time is significant.