Did you know that according to Napa (maritime software provider), the average transportation fleet spends about 10% of its lifetime in anchorage waiting to be loaded or discharged? That is due to the old practice known as “Sail fast, then wait” (SFTW), where vessels rush across the ocean only to wait in line at the port. The issue with this practice is that when ships speed, they emit even more GHG, and as they speed only to wait at the port, it is safe to say that there is room for improvement and rethinking of the practice. That is why Ultrabulk is proud to announce that we support the Blue Visby Solution that works to eradicate SFTW to allow ships to reduce speed and remove operational inefficiency and thereby reduce maritime emissions by 15% according to their data.
Sustainability is high on the agenda at Ultrabulk – and for a good reason. The shipping industry sets large carbon footprints in the world, and if the targets from the Paris Agreement should be achieved, our industry must get on board to make shipping more sustainable. We are always curious to develop our business and follow the latest inventions to optimise our practices and decrease our carbon footprints. And with The Blue Visby Solution we can go one step further towards a more sustainable shipping industry.
How will The Blue Visby Solution achieve a more sustainable shipping process?
The Blue Visby Solution does not seek to optimise the voyage of individual ships – they want to optimise the arrival of a group of ships sailing to the same destination. Here is how they describe their solution:
“The Blue Visby Solution is a neutral, independent and collaborative platform comprised by an algorithm, an operational system, a sharing mechanism and a contractual architecture.”
The solution works by applying an algorithm to a group of ships heading towards the same destination – so it optimises the system and the ocean passage without requiring any optimisation by the port actors. The algorithm and operational system monitor the conditions at the port of destination and organises the arrival of a group of ships sailing towards the port in a systematically optimal way by analysing ship performance, weather, congestion etc. at the destination. It does not interfere or compete with providers of vessel optimisation, weather routing services or with Just-in-Time projects – in fact it complements and facilitate their work.
Ultrabulk CFO, Oskar Fabricius, has been one of the decision-makers in supporting the project. Here is what he says about the collaboration:
“At Ultrabulk we support innovation and always want to pursue opportunities that can develop our practices and make our business more sustainable. We are excited to support The Blue Visby Solution and look forward to seeing how the industry will adapt.”
The Blue Visby Solution is currently continuing with software, operational and contractual development. They strive to launch the prototype in Q3/Q4 2023. We look forward to following the project and seeing how it can optimise and develop the industry – and hopefully create a more sustainable shipping industry. Find out more on https://bluevisby.com/
