Characterizing the global liquefied petroleum gas trading community using mass vessel trajectory data. (10th April 2020) - Peng, Peng
Abstract: Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as a clean and low-carbon energy source, is playing an increasingly vital role in global energy consumption. LPG trade is conducted through maritime transportation between ports. The intricate transport relationships involved form a complex trading network, and a clear, long-term understanding of this network will clarify global LPG trade patterns and their evolution at the port scale. This study adopted a set of complex network indices and a community detection method to analyze global LPG trade patterns and their evolution from the perspective of the trading community on the port scale using mass vessel trajectory data collected during 2013–2017. The results derived were as follows. 1) LPG transportation network is characterized by multiple transshipments, while the number of LPG transshipments shows a trend of decrease. 2) The LPG trade network has formed a series of closely connected communities around hub ports, and the hub ports of different communities have also gradually become more closely interconnected. 3) Trade links between the various communities have gradually strengthened over time, and LPG trade shows an evolutionary trend from regional agglomeration to globalization.