World trade is at a turning point. Increasing transport costs, congested motorways and the demand for CO₂ reductions are forcing the logistics sector to rethink. A solution that has been underestimated for a long time is coming back into focus: short-sea shipping — i.e. the transport of goods by sea within a continent or along the coast.

Whether along the North Sea and Baltic Sea, in the Mediterranean region or between British and continental ports — regional sea transport offers ecological and economic advantages that make it an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional land transport.

What is short sea shipping anyway?

Short-sea shipping (SSS) refers to the transport of goods by sea over short distances — typically within Europe or between neighboring coastal regions.
In contrast to intercontinental deep sea shipping, this form of transport focuses on shorter transit times, more frequent departures and connections with land transport modes such as rail or truck.

Typical goods include containers, vehicles, building materials, chemicals, machinery and even food. Particularly interesting: Transport can be carried out directly from port to port or in connection with inland ports and logistics terminals.

Why is short sea shipping making a comeback?

The renaissance of this form of transport has several causes:

1. Congested roads and railways
   Transport networks in Europe are reaching their limits. Freight traffic by road is growing steadily — with rising emissions, higher toll costs and increasing delivery delays.
   Short-sea shipping offers relief here: A single barge can transport over 100 truck shipments replace.
2. Climate goals and emission targets
   The pressure on companies to improve their carbon footprint is growing. Modern short-sea ships are significantly more energy efficient than trucks and emit around 75% less C0 per ton transported₂ off.
   With new drive technologies — from LNG to methanol to hybrid or electric drives — this balance is being further improved.
3. Geopolitical stability
   While international trade routes are increasingly affected by crises (for example as a result of conflicts in the Red Sea or the Suez Canal), regional maritime connections within Europe offer predictable, secure alternatives.
4. Digitalization and efficiency
   Digital port logistics, automated handling processes and real-time data make sea transport more efficient than ever before. Modern tracking systems provide complete transparency along the route — from departure to unloading.

Environmental benefits at a glance

Short-sea shipping has a convincing environmental record:

• Fewer emissions: Ships transport large quantities with significantly lower energy consumption per ton.
• Reduced traffic jams: Reducing traffic congestion on roads and motorways results in less traffic.
• Sustainable fuels: More and more shipping companies are using bio-LNG, hydrogen or ammonia as clean alternatives.
• Lower land consumption: Port logistics requires less infrastructure space than comparable land transport routes.

Regional maritime transport is thus making a measurable contribution to the climate goals of the EU and the IMO (International Maritime Organization).

Short sea shipping in practice

Examples of working short sea routes can be found all over Europe:

• North and Baltic Sea: Connecting Scandinavia with the Netherlands, Germany and Poland.
• Mediterranean region: Coastal transport between Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey.
• Atlantic coast: Routes between France, Portugal and Great Britain.

Many of these lines run several times a week, sometimes even daily. Combined with rail or truck flows, multimodal logistics chains are created that are convincing both ecologically and economically.

Challenges and future prospects

Despite the benefits, short sea shipping faces challenges:

• Port infrastructure: Not all ports are designed for modern handling processes.
• Bureaucracy & customs processes: Different regulations are slowing down cross-border traffic in some cases.
• Cost perception: Many companies are still underestimating the actual savings potential compared to roads.

Nevertheless: With increasing digitization, investments in clean drives and EU funding programs such as ”Motorways of the Sea” Short-sea shipping is considered a key technology for a sustainable logistics future.