Vessel owners know that they need to decarbonise their operations, but how can they choose the right solutions for their operational profile and business case? Three simple steps with a trusted expert is all it takes.
CII is just around the corner. Do you own a 10–15-year-old vessel that’s one of the surprisingly high number in category C, D or E? If you do, it’s going to need efficiency improvements if it is to avoid the scrapyard before the end of its predicted service life. It is estimated that as early as 2024 – only one year after CII comes into force – more than half of the world fleet subject to CII will fall out of compliance without such improvements. By 2030, if no action is taken, 81% of bulkers, 80% of container ships and 57% of oil tankers will find themselves at the bottom of the class in category E.
A trusted expert with a full view of what technologies are available and how to apply and integrate them is invaluable. Pinning your hopes on a single technology is rarely the optimal solution; a single vessel may need several solutions to ensure compliance, while suitable technologies may vary even across a fleet of similar vessels.
We take a consultative approach, acting as a trusted, technology-agnostic expert to help you benchmark your current emission performance and then identify the optimal energy-saving technologies to help you improve it.
“With this outlook it is no wonder that in recent years we have seen a sharp increase in requests for expert advice and support to help customers navigate their decarbonisation journey,” says Giulio Tirelli, Director, Business Development, Wärtsilä Marine Power. Wärtsilä’s response comes in the form of Decarbonisation Services. ”We take a consultative approach, acting as a trusted, technology-agnostic expert to help you benchmark your current emission performance and then identify the optimal energy-saving technologies to help you improve it.”
The team dedicated to leading this decarbonisation journey follows a three-step approach, which is detailed below.
“Data and digitalisation are enabling a completely new engineering approach,” explains Tirelli. “With your fleet or individual vessels, the first step is to build a complete picture of the current state of play. We do this by gathering and analysing several years of data from a variety of sources, including vessel operational profiles, technical characteristics and official vessel fuel consumption reported by owners – as well as data from multiple Wärtsilä databases,” Tirelli explains. “We can then use machine learning techniques to process this data and predict how your vessel’s emission performance will degrade over time.”
Once the Wärtsilä experts have enough data they can use it to build a digital model of your vessel. This model mirrors its physical counterpart and is built based on data gathered from sensors and from publicly available data sources. It is used simulate the effects of different energy-saving technologies, or more likely different combinations of technologies, how they interact with each other and their impact on vessel operation.
These can include Wärtsilä solutions like:
They can also include solutions like air lubrication and rotor sails.
A good example of how this approach is applied in practice is the team’s work with Carnival Corporation. “Since February 2022 we have been working on a modelling project for the Regal Princess, a 330-metre long cruise vessel,” says Peter Hansten, General Manager, Decarbonisation Services, Wärtsilä. “To build the digital model and simulate vessel operations we are using several years’ worth of data. In the course of this project the benefits of the proposed technologies were clearly demonstrated and their impact quantified.”
The third step is to determine what measures are technically and economically feasible. The key determiners here are:
“We bring clarity for you as a vessel owner with data-led advice that helps you to determine not only which investments make sense but also the optimal time to make them,” explains Tirelli.
Our aim is always to use a fact-based approach to determine the actions that will have the optimal decarbonisation impact on specific vessels and entire fleets.
If you have a newer vessel, maybe one energy-saving technology will be enough; if your vessel is close to the end of its operational life it might actually make more financial sense to scrap it, not upgrade it. “It’s also possible that the fact-based analysis does not produce the results that were expected at the beginning of our shared journey,” explains Tirelli. “But Decarbonisation Services is about advising and providing clarity rather than selling, so we’ll happily tell you that too. Far from coming to the table with a predetermined set of technologies or ideas based on feelings or opinions, our aim is always to use a fact-based approach to determine the actions that will have the optimal decarbonisation impact on specific vessels and entire fleets.”
As well advising on hardware investments, the team can also advise you on what will be required from your crews, both in terms of operating the upgraded vessel and collecting ongoing data to make fact-based, timely decisions.
Perhaps the most important benefit that Decarbonisation Services brings is that it de-risks your investment. With an open, fact-based approach we can accurately predict, measure and, if required, even guarantee your vessel’s performance. This data is invaluable when approaching banks or insurance companies as you have the means to prove the financial viability of the investment.
“As a vessel owner, it can feel like you’re scrambling around in the dark when trying to work out what to do about decarbonisation and when. In a nutshell, Decarbonisation Services takes the guesswork and uncertainty out of choosing the right solutions. By providing you with a clear plan of action based on solid data rather than static assumptions, we can help you take the steps you need to take quickly and in the most economically viable way,” Tirelli concludes.
Find out how your data can help you establish the optimal path to decarbonisation for your fleet
