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MAROFF-2-Maritim virksomhet og offsh-2

Real Energy Efficiency and Emissions in the Seaway

Alternative title: Energieffektivitet og utslipp fra skip i praksis

Awarded: NOK 6.6 mill.

Project Number:

255672

Project Period:

2016 - 2019

Location:

Partner countries:

Energy efficient fleet operation remains on top of the maritime industry agenda. Improving energy efficiency by making the right operational decisions requires good quality performance data, a thorough understanding of the drivers of uncertainty in key variables such as vessel speed and fuel consumption, and state of the art decision-support tools. While the volume and quality of fleet performance data is increasing, models of ship performance remain largely theoretical and unable to account for the high uncertainty inherent in real-life operating conditions. The objective of REEalSea has been to bridge this gap by improving our understanding and models of operational uncertainty in vessel speeds and fuel consumption. Implementing the results from the project will assist ship operators in making better operating decisions and enable maritime authorities to provide better bottom-up estimates of local and regional emissions. The three-year project has drawn together a multi-disciplinary consortium of leading research institutions in "green shipping": Nanyang Technological University, Center for Applied Research at NHH (SNF) and industry partners SKS Tankers, Bergen Shipowners' Association and DNV GL (Singapore). REEalSea has contributed to bridging the Norwegian and Singaporean maritime knowledge clusters and supports the move towards a more sustainable and advanced transport system. The main research results of the research project can be summarized as follows: 1) Cconstraints and incentives in charterparties (e.g. demurrage) lead to increased speeds and emissions, 2) The classical models for fuel consumption and optimal speed are poorly adapted to actual operational conditions in the seaway and will typically overestimate the positive effects of speed reduction, and 3) Hull cleaning has a very attractive cost-benefit ratio with regards to reducing ship emissions and fuel consumption.

Outcomes: The project has entailed that one of our industry partners has refined and enhanced their internal tools for managing speed (and thereby consumption) on individual voyages, within charter party constraints. They have also refined procedures and intervals for hull cleaning and propeller polishing based on findings from the REEalSea project. The project has also led to increased interdisciplinary and international research collaboration, such as between the technical and commercial management of our shipping company partners, and between key academic research groups in Singapore and Norway. Impacts: The project results have challenged the classical theory with regards to fuel consumption and optimal speed. This is important in the discussion and design of supranational environmental policy. Researchers from the project have presented at the World Bank.

Due to the combination of challenging freight markets, high fuel costs and increasing regulatory pressure to reduce emissions, energy efficient fleet operation remains on top of the maritime industry agenda. Improving energy efficiency by making the right operational decisions requires good quality performance data, a thorough understanding of the drivers of uncertainty in key variables such as vessel speed and fuel consumption, and state of the art decision-support tools. While the volume and quality of empirical data is increasing, models of ship performance remain largely theoretical and unable to account for the high uncertainty in multiple drivers - physical, technical and commercial - of real-life speeds and fuel consumption. The objective of REEalSea is to bridge the gap between ship performance data and decision-support tools, using state-of-the art statistical analysis and stochastic optimization models. Implementing the results from the project will assist ship operators in making better operational decisions when subject to commercial constraints and changing market conditions, and enable improved bottom-up estimates of local and regional emissions for maritime authorities by accounting for the uncertainty in real operating conditions. The three-year project draws together a multi-disciplinary consortium of leading research institutions in the areas of green shipping: Nanyang Technological University, Center for Applied Research at NHH (SNF) and industry partners SKS Tankers, Bergen Shipowners' Association and DNV GL (Singapore). REEalSea is of strategic importance to the partner institutions, bridges the Norwegian and Singaporean maritime knowledge clusters and supports the move towards a more sustainable and advanced transport system. The project also strengthens cooperation with other maritime research groups that are leading international efforts in energy efficiency and activity-based emissions monitoring, such as UCL Energy Institute.

Publications from Cristin

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Funding scheme:

MAROFF-2-Maritim virksomhet og offsh-2