Promoting fuel savings with SmartSpeed
US based Applied Weather Technology (AWT), a StormGeo company, has launched AWT SmartSpeed, which it says is the first route advisory service to use advanced optimisation to set both optimum route and speed for each segment of a voyage.
AWT SmartSpeed combines vessel specifications and voyage details with AWT’s database, which contains nearly 20 years of weather and oceanographic information, to calculate optimum speed settings across an entire voyage.
George Schlinkert, vice president of ship route advisory services at AWT, said: “To provide variable speed and variable route optimisation has been the goal of ship routing for years, but only today with massive computing power, is this made possible.”
He added that with IMO and governmental requirements such as Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP) and with stricter Emission Control Areas (ECA) zones in 2015, AWT SmartSpeed provides a timely solution to assist compliance, enable fuel efficiency and control costs.
The way the system works is that prior to a voyage, AWT supplies shore based ship operators with a pre-voyage plan for each part of the trip, which is then sent onboard the ship.
During the voyage, users are then able to proactively manage operations ensuring on time arrival and monitoring fuel consumption.
After the voyage is complete, AWT voyage reports allow users to monitor compliance with speed orders sent to the ship. Monthly or quarterly reports can be received to give users an average return on investment when it comes to fuel savings.
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