Energy efficiency has always been a key concern for shipbuilding and shipping. Whereas in the past it was mainly economic reasons that motivated the search for a low power requirement for a ship, today ecological reasons and compliance with statutory regulations to reduce emissions are coming strongly to the forefront with at least equal weight. These concerns call for a consistent strategy of energy efficiency as well as a significant reduction of exhaust emissions not only in the construction but also substantially in the operation of ships.
The energy consumption of merchant ships is largely determined by their hydrodynamic characteristics and the systems onboard. In some cases, up to 90% of primary energy consumption is used for propulsion and must, therefore, be optimally managed. MariData’s goal is to develop, improve and classify simulation-based modules for ship energy management using a carefully selected combination of state-of-the-art maritime technologies and experience as well as AI-based tools and methods for a groundbreaking product for holistic ship energy and operations management.
Together with geospatial information and a “Decision Support System” (DSS) that brings together technical, environmental and economic data, energy consumption information will be integrated into a platform that can be used both onboard the ship and shore-based by a shipping company. The platform will provide on-line simulations for decision support to the ship’s management, as well as assistance with short-, medium- and long-term forecasts and decisions related to ship operations.