Wallenius Wilhelmsen claims to be the first global shipping company to adopt a fully AI-based approach to voyage optimisation, having implemented live streaming of vital data onboard 65 vessels, which it says will help reduce fuel consumption by up to 10%.
Geir Fagerheim, SVP Marine Operations, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said: “It is a significant step on our way towards zero emissions.”
Wallenius Wilhelmsen has set ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 27.5% by 2030.
Fagerheim said: “Half of this reduction will have to come from existing vessels. We are diligently working to find emissions-friendly solutions for our existing fleet. This partnership is one of several that will help us reach the reduction target. We aim to implement this next-generation voyage optimization solution for increased vessel efficiency across our entire fleet.”
Wallenius Wilhelmsen has been working with Athens-based maritime technology company DeepSea to rigorously test and further develop its vessel performance software over the last 18 months. DeepSea is a team of AI researchers, engineers and sector experts, with specialist knowledge in the use of machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence), on a mission to make shipping more efficient. For the past three years, Wallenius Wilhelmsen has made significant investments in its IT and cloud infrastructure and has been working to install sensors onboard vessels to obtain the data relevant for cutting back fuel consumption. These sensors monitor vital operational parameters such as fuel consumption, shaft power, speed, electricity consumption, and more.
Fagerheim said: “We can now harvest this data using cloud technology, then run it through a complex mathematic model which, with the help of AI technology like that from DeepSea, ultimately provides the vessel captain with detailed instructions regarding optimal route and vessel speed. These tools give instructions that foresee sailing conditions with great precision when correlated with weather forecast prognosis updates. No human being, no matter how many years of experience they have, can compete with these automated sailing instructions. It reduces emissions and fuel consumption, and increases safety during operation. It is a win-win in all aspects of sailing.”
Roberto Coustas, CEO Deepsea, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Wallenius Wilhelmsen on this – it is a milestone moment for the real-world application, and proven impact, of AI in maritime. Not only are we becoming a key part of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s decarbonisation strategy, we are also working with professionals who truly want to contribute towards reducing fuel consumption, thus promoting a greener shipping industry altogether.”
Fagerheim concluded: “This AI project, once it reaches large-scale operation, really has an impact on our global emissions. Digitalisation drives many of the measures we carry out to reduce our emissions. No one has done this on the scale we are now preparing.”
