The Blue Visby Solution (BVS) project has successfully completed a series of Prototype Trials (PT) in collaboration with Marubeni Corporation, a key member of the Blue Visby Consortium. The trials, conducted over a span of three months, involved 16 LPG tankers under charter by Marubeni Corporation, which participated in 40 voyages, testing the BVS technology in real-world conditions. These trials were designed to optimize decision-making for vessels operating in a First Come, First Served (FCFS) environment, helping to reduce GHG emissions by addressing the common industry practice of “Sail Fast Then Wait” (SFTW).
The primary goal of the BVS/Marubeni PT was to evaluate the efficacy of BVS as a decision-support tool. The technology provided critical optimization data and recommendations to operators, allowing them to decide, based on their own operational and commercial needs, whether to implement BVS to reduce speed and mitigate emissions. In this context, BVS successfully addressed the challenge of Sail Fast Then Wait, a practice that contributes significantly to shipping’s carbon footprint by encouraging ships to sail at high speeds without considering the destination or the operational conditions, leading to excessive fuel consumption and unnecessary emissions.
Key Findings and Results
The BVS/Marubeni PT demonstrated the significant potential of the BVS technology to achieve substantial fuel and GHG savings. In total, 31 actionable recommendations to reduce vessel speeds were made, with participating vessels seeing an average fuel and GHG emissions savings of approximately 29%. This was achieved through a reduction in speed from an average of 13.6 knots to 10.6 knots, showcasing the potential for emissions reductions without sacrificing operational performance.
A key factor in the success of this trial was the continuous monitoring of over 919 vessels on a 24/7 basis. This ensured that the vessels in the trial would not be overtaken by non-participating vessels, thus ensuring the integrity of the test. The results confirm the feasibility of using BVS to reduce emissions in a FCFS environment, where coordination between vessels is typically absent.
The BVS/Marubeni PT follows a successful set of Prototype Trials conducted earlier in 2024 with CBH Group, another Consortium member, which demonstrated fuel and GHG emissions savings of 8-28% in the dry bulk segment. The trials with CBH Group focused on optimizing operations for terminal stems, while the Marubeni trials concentrated on the more challenging FCFS environment, offering valuable insights into the versatility and applicability of the BVS technology across different maritime sectors.
Haris Zografakis and Pekka Pakkanen, co-ordinators of the Blue Visby Consortium, expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the trials: “Over several years, the Blue Visby Solution has progressed from studies to virtual pilots and now to these successful prototype trials. The invaluable support from both CBH Group and Marubeni Corporation has shown that the BVS can be deployed successfully in two critical operational environments in maritime trade: terminal stems and First Come First Served.”
Christian Wounlund, CEO of the Blue Visby Solution, commented: “We are thrilled with the outcome of these second Prototype Trials. The collaboration with Marubeni Corporation and our team spread across four countries working around the clock has been invaluable. The scaling of this project is progressing well, and we look forward to commercial deployment in the coming months.”
Kimmo Laaksonen, Chief Technology Officer, highlighted the success of the BVS technology in addressing optimization challenges in competitive environments: “Through these trials, we demonstrated that the Blue Visby Solution can solve complex operational challenges using new data and optimization constraints, allowing us to reduce emissions while keeping operations competitive.”
Captain Munaf Shaikh, Chief Maritime Officer, added, “The feedback and insights from Marubeni Corporation during these trials have been crucial in refining BVS as a practical decision-support tool. This will empower operators to make informed decisions to improve the carbon efficiency of their operations.”
Addressing Sail Fast Then Wait (SFTW)
The Blue Visby Solution is designed to tackle the systemic challenge of Sail Fast Then Wait (SFTW), which accounts for about 20% of shipping’s carbon footprint. This operational practice involves ships racing to their destinations without regard to conditions at the port, resulting in higher fuel consumption and emissions.
The BVS offers a systemic solution by combining software, operations, and contracts to optimize vessel operations without interfering with voyage planning, weather routing, or port operations. A key component of the BVS is a benefit-sharing mechanism, which incentivizes shipowners and operators to reduce emissions and cooperate across the supply chain. This system removes the obstacle of split incentives, enabling wider participation in emission-reducing efforts.
The Blue Visby Consortium and Next Steps
The Blue Visby Solution has been developed with the support of over 40 members of the Blue Visby Consortium, including software company NAPA Oy and law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP. The project has evolved from academic studies to proofs of concept and simulations, and now into real-world Prototype Trials. These trials, involving both the dry bulk sector with CBH Group and the tanker segment with Marubeni Corporation, provide a solid foundation for the future commercial deployment of the solution.
Looking ahead, the Blue Visby Consortium plans to expand the use of the technology across other market segments, with further Prototype Trials scheduled for 2025. The BVS technology will continue to evolve based on the insights gathered during these trials, with the ultimate goal of reducing shipping’s GHG emissions in both terminal stem and First Come First Served operational environments.
About Blue Visby Solution
The Blue Visby Solution is an innovative approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime industry. It combines cutting-edge software, operational practices, and contractual agreements to optimize the ocean passage of vessels and eliminate the detrimental effects of the Sail Fast Then Wait practice. Through its collaborative, multilateral framework, the BVS is designed to reduce emissions across the shipping industry while supporting commercial viability. The Blue Visby Solution continues to evolve and is on track for commercial deployment in the coming months.
Source Blue Visby Solution