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Singapore (CNN) -- At nearly the length of four football pitches, the container ship Eugen Maersk takes some stopping when traveling at full speed -- around 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) before it can come to a complete halt.
It can also burn through 250 tons of highly polluting bunker fuel each day when at sea, but while berthed in Singapore last month the ship was trying its best to keep a low profile, at least in terms of its impact on the environment.
The 397-meter long vessel was running on a low-sulfur fuel while in port, something its owners say reduces toxic sulfur dioxide emissions by 85%.
Financially, the shipping industry is in the doldrums, suffering from over capacity and high oil prices. With tough times have come new ideas on how to cut costs and improve the environmental impact of shipping.