New Green Ships Get Software Boost

Greater efficiency is the new calling within shipping industry. Skyrocketing bunker prices and global pressure to reduce ship emissions is leading the shipping industry toward a more environmentally friendly and sustainable future.

In an effort to increase the efficiency of their fleet, Malaysian-based tanker operator AET has ordered the NAPA-DSME Power software system for installation on four newbuild 319,000 deadweight tonne (DWT) crude carriers currently under construction at Daewoo’s (DSME) shipyard in South Korea.

NAPA-DSME Power has been designed as part of a collaboration between marine software developer NAPA and DSME, with the companies claiming that it can be used to save up to 5 percent of a tanker’s fuel costs.

Using sensors integrated within DSME’s latest tanker designs, the system monitors energy efficiency, emissions, fuel consumption and trim. This data is immediately accessible to officers onboard, along with weather updates, arrival times and other key performance indicators to inform decisions and enable efficiency optimisation in real-time.

The software can also be used to assist in maintaining compliance with energy and emissions monitoring and reporting regulations, which are anticipated to grow over the next few years, not least through the upcoming Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) legislation that takes effect from January 1st 2013.

“With tightening environmental regulations and increasing operational overheads, the maritime industry continues to face an evolving and challenging market,” said Matti Salo, president, NAPA for Operations. “In choosing NAPA-DSME Power, AET has selected an innovative approach to operations management that will provide them with the ability to benefit from fuel efficiencies whilst simultaneously managing their environmental impact.”

AET is not the first company to benefit from NAPA’s green technology. Halfway across the globe, the navigational officer of a Norwegian Cruise Line ship enters the destination information of the next port into NAPA Power, a software package which – by integrating the latest weather and sea forecasts – optimises the voyage route and speed profile. The departure loading condition of the ship is calculated and planned for the optimum energy efficiency using the Onboard-NAPA Loading Computer.

During the cruise, navigational personnel can follow-up in real time the efficiency of the ongoing voyage with NAPA Power. Engineers can easily view summary figures for each passed voyage, enabling them to assess different energy conservation methods using NAPA Voyage Reporting which combines NAPA Electronic Logbook data with various items collected automatically from the ship’s automation systems.

All operational data collected and produced with Onboad-NAPA is reported to a centralised reporting portal called NAPA Office. This offers tools for easy fleet monitoring.

Antoine Gurrey, director of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Fuel Budgeting and Energy Conservation, is impressed: “A task that used to take several hours can be completed in a couple of minutes with the Data Analysis module in NAPA Office”.

Salo agrees and adds “At NAPA, we are committed to developing products that deliver tangible benefits to customers, directly supporting their ability to effectively manage this cycle of change.”

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