Voyage optimization has been a staple of ship routing for decades. However, the original principles behind the service, namely, the safety of crew, vessel, and cargo, have been complemented with the recent onset of a massive focus on decarbonization as set out by the IMO. These principles must be in the DNA of any company purporting to provide accurate and efficient route optimization services.
Pre-fixture Of The Voyage
During the pre-fixture stage of a voyage, the charterer/freight trader needs to make accurate calculations to establish profit and loss, the Time Charter Equivalent (TCE). These calculations should include an accurate assessment of the expected Sea Margin. It also allows for the best estimate of the expected fuel consumption and a benchmark against which results can be measured. StormGeo can provide vessel and season specific Sea Margins for all global voyages allowing for the expected effect of the weather, sea, and current conditions. We can even help to assess total CO2 emissions during the pre-fixture stage for better environmental considerations.
Once a vessel is nominated for a particular cargo a voyage pre plan is prepared, indicating the various route options available, given the specifics of the vessel and either the latest forecast or expected climatological average conditions if the sailing date is outside the forecast date range. This preplan lets the operator actively engage in the routing decision to ensure the most efficient passage.
During the Sea Voyage
During the voyage, the optimum route is continuously updated according to the latest weather forecast, and any change in the recommendation is presented to the vessel. In many cases, the optimum route can be to sail a longer distance route in more favorable weather conditions, saving both fuel and time. It is always a fine balance between distance, time, and consumption, with all these criteria directly affecting the vessel/voyage efficiency. At StormGeo, we have web-based applications that monitor vessel emissions in real-time, allowing the operator to follow the vessel’s performance based on the most up-to-date and detailed data.
Latest Strategy Focus
Traditionally, vessels aim to maintain a constant speed, even in adverse weather. This burns fuel at an exponential rate due to the vessel’s need to increase power output to maintain a constant speed. Despite the vessel’s efforts, speed is often lost in the process. StormGeo developed and launched Strategic Power Routing, which is designed to ensure the ship’s power is delivered at a ‘constant power setting,’ thereby keeping fuel consumption constant. We achieve this by providing the vessel with daily RPM advice needed to achieve constant power in the encountered weather and current conditions and the forecast ahead. We have a team of experts continually monitoring each vessel to ensure the crew onboard follows our advice. Part of this communication process also involves determining when and how many auxiliary power units to have operational as we often see multiple units engaged when a single unit is sufficient given the expected load. Strategic Power Routing significantly contributes to reducing fuel consumption, and our figures indicate vessels under this service can easily attain a 3-5% fuel saving.
The focus on decarbonization must not come at the expense of the commercial optimization of the voyage. This is the ultimate goal of the operator and what performance is measured against. To maximize the commercial potential of the voyage, the correct speed and consumption combination needs to be chosen. Depending on the market, a slower speed with corresponding lower fuel consumption will often be a good choice, thereby lowering CO2 emissions. By considering all the variable costs, including time, the operator can easily choose which speed and consumption alternatives are best suited for the voyage. Last but not least, the vessel must manage the arrival time at the port to tender a Notice of Readiness (NOR). Once accepted, the laytime starts to count. Still, with increasing delays in ports, there is a movement to avoid ’rushing to wait’ behavior, and operators are more willing to manage their RTA to avoid burning extra fuel at sea and then extra fuel while idling in port.
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Source: Xindermarine
