ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a generic methodology for evaluating the potential demand for short sea shipping (SSS) routes, integrated in intermodal transport chains, which use cargo roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ships. Models of costs and transit time across the entire transport chain for unimodal and intermodal transport solutions are presented, and a simple decision-making criterion for selecting the preferred transport solution is used. The annual demand is estimated for pairs of maritime freight rates and ship speeds, allowing the determination of the ship and fleet size. Regions for which intermodal transport is competitive are identified. A method is presented, based on a database of existing ships, for determining the characteristics of the required cargo ro-ro ships. The maximum annual profit is identified among the feasible pairs of maritime freight rate and ship speed. This methodology is applied in a case study dedicated to the SSS corridor between Portugal and northern Europe, where three different ports of destination are studied. The most suitable ship and the required fleet size are identified for each port, and the routes are evaluated from the financial perspective of the shipping company.
