Weather routing gets AI treatment

This technology, which integrates weather routing into AI-based voyage analytics is changing what is possible in ship performance, according to METIS Cyberspace Technology.

“By integrating weather routing functionality in the METIS platform, we can take account of all of the variables affecting the ship using a single interface. This delivers a huge leap forward in voyage optimisation, so that comparisons can be made in the most accurate way, and sets new data-driven standards which enhance ship safety, efficiency and sustainability,” said Mike Konstantinidis, CEO, METIS Cyberspace Technology.

Next level planning

Conventional weather routing services help operators avoid ‘unwanted weather’ and choose safer routes but they use generic ship information, said Mr Konstantinidis.

“In reality, even sister ships develop unique performance profiles due to variations in machinery, hull fouling, hull damages, maintenance and repairs, quality and type of fuel oil and crew skills. Individual ship performance and cargo characteristics information is vital for safety and for choosing the ‘best’ route to save fuel and reduce emissions.”

The IMO and International Association of Marine Underwriters work with assumptions that weather routing helps ships save over 3% in fuel consumption. Augmented Routing Optimization is already proving far more productive, according to Mr Konstantinidis.

In one six-month pilot using METIS Augmented Routing Optimization advisory functionality, a METIS customer achieved a 923mt cut in FO consumption, equivalent to around US$750,000 at today’s prices. This was despite the fact that the distance travelled by the ship increased by 25%. Furthermore, the CII was calculated as 19.5% lower.

Onboard ship, Augmented Routing Optimization enables ship-specific comparisons between the weather optimized route with other user-defined routes. Onshore, managers can take account of route adjustments, calculate and recalculate optimum routes to optimise schedules, and better evaluate voyage and post-voyage performance against expectations or charter party terms.

“This is a new demonstration of what is possible when different services are integrated in the METIS platform,” said Mr Konstantinidis. “The user experiences capabilities greater than the sum of its parts in terms of analytic power as a single and convenient Augmented Routing Optimization tool.”