SMMI researchers launch voyage optimisation solution to reduce ship emissions
Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed Voyage Optimisation Software in partnership with Theyr Ltd (T-VOS). The software is based on a Genetic Algorithm developed in the Maritime Engineering group by Adam Sobey and Przemyslaw Grudniewski. T-VOS simultaneously optimises voyages for speed, fuel usage and time charter equivalence (TCE). Benchmarking with shipping companies, against current technologies, has shown T-VOS’ capabilities in reducing fuel consumption by 5 per cent, voyage time by 7.5 per cent, and TCE by 8 per cent, with corresponding reductions in CO2 emissions. This is in addition to the savings already made by current approaches.
COP26 stressed the importance of reducing emissions immediately, and how we operate our vessels can be adapted cheaply and easily. As an example, a medium size fleet adopting this approach with 120 vessels, ~0.2% of the global commercial fleet, would be predicted to reduce its CO2 emissions by 231,428 tonnes. This would lead to $ 26.8m in fuel costs per year and increase Time chart Equivalent profits by $40.2m.
The project was funded by SPRINT with the initial funding for the Genetic Algorithm provided by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation University Technology Centre. Ongoing research is being performed to improve the methods, funded by an SMMI studentship.