In today’s world, you can track your pizza order down to the minute. You know when it’s in the oven when the driver leaves, and when it’s six stops away. You expect precision. You demand it.
And yet, when a $10 million cargo ship approaches one of the world’s busiest ports, there’s often no such clarity. Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)? More guesswork than guarantee.
This paradox sits at the heart of global logistics. Consumers expect delivery precision for a £10 parcel. But for shipments worth millions, arriving late is simply accepted.
At PortXchange, we believe that needs to change.
When Delays Cost More Than Dinner
Let’s walk through a few real-world scenarios:
- Your €10 pizza is late? You get it free.
- Your €100 online order misses a day? You’re notified or compensated.
- A €10 million shipment arrives five days behind schedule? No penalty; just shrugs.
Yet, behind that shrug lies a cascade of operational costs: port congestion, idle fuel burn, contractual penalties, missed slots, and mounting emissions. Maritime logistics suffers when timing slips, just like retail, but the impact is bigger and, too often, unchallenged.
Congestion Is Worsening and ETA Guesswork Isn’t Good Enough
According to Drewry’s May 2025 report:
- Antwerp: Average berth waiting time rose 37% (32 → 44 hours)
- Hamburg: +49% (34 → 50 hours)
- Bremerhaven: +77%, exacerbated by strikes and staffing shortages
Meanwhile, congestion from Shenzhen to Los Angeles is causing similar disruptions. In Rotterdam and Antwerp, low water levels on the Rhine are hampering barge flows, compounding the strain on inland logistics.
Read our latest press release: PortXchange urges smarter ETA solutions amid mounting European port congestion
As delays stack up, so do emissions.
“Free Time” Isn’t Free, It’s Carbon
When vessels idle at anchor or berth awaiting instructions, emissions continue without movement or progress.
A 2021 study of Indonesian container ports (Budiyanto et al.) showed that berthing alone accounts for 69% of port-related CO₂ emissions, with vessels emitting an average of 1.58 kg of CO₂ per DWT per call. This is not marginal; it’s structural.
Berth’s unavailability doesn’t just waste fuel; it undermines supply chain reliability and the planet’s carbon budget.
Synchronizer: A Just-in-Time Solution That’s Ready Now
PortXchange’s Synchronizer provides real-time coordination between vessels, terminals, and port authorities to enable Just-in-Time (JIT) arrivals. Ships are instructed to slow down only when necessary optimizing speed for berth readiness, not race-and-wait inefficiency.
Synchronizer reduces:
- Anchorage delays
- Fuel consumption
- Operational emissions
- Pressure on port infrastructure
Improving the precision of port calls makes ETA reliability not just possible but measurable, improvable, and accountable.
Case Study
How the Port of Algeciras Uses Synchronizer to Drive Operational Efficiency
The Port of Algeciras, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, faced a common challenge: fragmented coordination among port stakeholders was causing knock-on delays, increased idle time, and inefficient resource allocation. When vessels completed cargo operations, critical updates such as pilot readiness often failed to reach the right people on time, resulting in berths sitting idle and vessels awaiting departure.
To tackle this, the Port of Algeciras implemented PortXchange Synchronizer, creating a shared situational awareness platform for all stakeholders. By synchronising real-time planning data, every player from terminals to pilots to agents could view and respond to changes as they happened. Automated alerts and milestone notifications enabled earlier pilot ordering, reduced vessel turnaround time, and cut delays at the berth.
“With the PortXchange platform, we make verified data accessible to all parties involved in a port call and empower better strategic decision-making,” said Jesus Medina Blanco, Chief Information and Innovation Officer at the Port of Algeciras.
The results were significant. Algeciras reduced average idle time per port call by nearly 40% and facilitated Just-in-Time (JIT) Arrivals enabling vessels to adjust speed based on berth readiness. By avoiding unnecessary acceleration or anchoring, the port helped cut an average of 32.9 tonnes of CO₂ per call.
“Synchronisation of port operations from a holistic perspective is key to our competitiveness,” added Medina Blanco. “We combine cloud computing, machine learning, and API integrations to share real-time data and remain technology agnostic open to any platform that adds value.”
The Port of Algeciras is proving that smarter, real-time coordination doesn’t just improve efficiency it delivers measurable environmental and commercial gains.
Why Slow Steaming Alone Isn’t Enough
Long considered a go-to emissions strategy, slow steaming is under fresh scrutiny. Studies by Simpson, Spence & Young and Clarksons indicate that assumptions behind its effectiveness may be flawed.
Fuel use doesn’t decline linearly with speed. In fact, the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) framework is facing criticism for oversimplifying the relationship between emissions and speed, ignoring berth delays and emissions from idling ships.
It’s increasingly clear: we need smarter planning, not just slower sailing.
EmissionInsider: From Awareness to Accountability
PortXchange’s EmissionInsider provides ports and cargo owners with verifiable insight into vessel emissions not only at sea but crucially at berth, where emissions often go untracked.
It delivers:
- Granular CO₂ data by vessel, terminal, and modality
- Emissions forecasting for infrastructure projects
- Visibility into shore power opportunities
- ESG-aligned reporting capabilities
In a carbon-constrained future, ports without this kind of visibility will fall behind.
Case Study:
How the Port of Rotterdam Used EmissionInsider to Drive Change
Europe’s largest port, Rotterdam, handles more than 468 million tonnes of cargo annually. The emissions at stake are massive. Until recently, emissions tracking was fragmented, conducted through ad hoc studies using inconsistent assumptions.
That changed with the launch of PortXchange EmissionInsider, powered by BigMile technology.
“The EmissionInsider helps us visualize emissions from all four modalities: sea-going vessels, barges, trucks, and rail. Equipped with this data, we can pinpoint the emission sources and develop targeted strategies,” said Douwe van der Stroom, Port of Rotterdam
Key impacts at Rotterdam:
- Established science-based targets using credible data
- Justified infrastructure upgrades (e.g. Maasvlakte 2 canal expansion) by quantifying emissions saved from reduced anchorage and tug use
- Enabled customers to choose greener routing based on emissions transparency
- Secured government subsidies by providing CO₂ savings with EmissionInsider analytics
- Enabled shore power feasibility by calculating potential emissions avoided
“Carbon emissions don’t stop at the border we need to work with other ports on decarbonizing shipping,” van der Stroom added.
Retail Got the Message. Now Maritime Must Catch Up
Retailers realized long ago that “free shipping” isn’t really free. It’s priced into products, offset through data-driven logistics, and optimized by holding carriers accountable.
The maritime world faces the same reckoning.
Like retail, it must:
- Measure everything
- Share data between partners
- Predict outcomes and optimize flows
- Treat ETA precision as a performance metric, not a promise
Precision Isn’t Optional. It’s the Path Forward
Every preventable delay is a missed opportunity: idle berths, excess emissions, lost revenue. But change is no longer a matter of “can we?” It’s a matter of “why haven’t we?”
PortXchange is powering that change with the following:
- Synchronizer: enabling JIT arrivals
- EmissionInsider: providing full emissions visibility
- And partnerships with leading ports like Rotterdam
ETA accuracy is no longer a nice to have. It’s the foundation for sustainable and efficient port calls,” empathizes Sjoerd de Jager, CEO of PortXchange
In Summary
Whether it’s a pizza, a parcel, or a petroleum shipment, timing is everything.
ETA reliability should no longer be a vague estimate. It should be measurable. Auditable. Shareable. And above all, it should be taken seriously.
Because in the new logistics reality, what you don’t measure can and will cost you.
Want to reduce anchorage emissions and make every port call more efficient? Contact us to learn more about either of our tools, PortXchange Synchronizer or EmissionInsider.
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FAQs
1. What is ETA in shipping?
ETA stands for Estimated Time of Arrival. In shipping, it refers to the date and time a vessel is expected to arrive at a specific port or terminal. ETAs are used to plan port operations, coordinate with logistics partners, and inform customers about delivery timelines. However, ETAs are often dynamic and can shift due to weather, congestion, mechanical issues, or changes in route.
2. Why are ETAs inaccurate in maritime logistics?
ETAs in maritime logistics are frequently inaccurate due to a combination of unpredictable variables, including:
Port congestion – delays at destination ports can ripple through scheduling
Weather conditions – storms or rough seas can force route changes
Lack of real-time coordination – vessels often arrive before berths are ready, leading to idle time
Manual data updates – many ETAs rely on static or outdated data rather than live, synchronized systems. These inaccuracies create knock-on effects across the supply chain, including demurrage fees, wasted fuel, and higher emissions.
3. How can ports improve ETA accuracy?
Ports can improve ETA accuracy by adopting digital coordination platforms like PortXchange Synchronizer. These systems enable Just-in-Time (JIT) arrivals, allowing vessels to adjust their speed and arrival time based on actual berth availability. This reduces idle time, improves fuel efficiency, and ensures more reliable scheduling for all stakeholders.
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Sources
- Drewry Container Capacity Insight, May 2025
- Budiyanto M.A. et al. (2021). Evaluation of CO₂ Emissions in Container Ports, Scientific Reports, DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-84958-4
- Clarksons and SSY Slow Steaming Emissions Reports, 2024–2025
- PortXchange.com – Synchronizer, EmissionInsider
- Port of Rotterdam EmissionInsider Case Study (2025)
