ABSTRACT
A methodology to estimate technical characteristics of container ships using the limited information provided by the Automatic Identification System (AIS) is presented. This methodology uses the information on length and breadth of the ship to estimate its nominal TEU capacity and then combines such information with a comprehensive database of container ships to estimate other ship characteristics such as draught, depth, gross tonnage, TEU capacity (14t), propulsion power, electrical installation power, service speed, newbuilding price. These technical characteristics may be used to support economic studies of new liner routes and studies of container ship emissions in coastal and port waters. This approach is tested for the fleet of container ships calling in key Portuguese ports, aiming at evaluating the accuracy of the produced estimates, allowing conclusions to be drawn on the feasibility of its application in the mentioned studies.
