ABB invited Esmond Yong, Sales Director, APAC, Routing Services, ABB Marine & Ports, based in Singapore; Sallum Andaya, Senior Route Analyst, Routing Services, ABB Marine & Ports, based in Manila, Philippines; and Capt. Kevin Knott, Fleet Performance Manager at BW LPG, a world leader in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipping, based in Singapore, to share insights into the weather routing landscape in APAC. We discussed the regulations, trends and challenges, and what makes ABB Routing Services unique – as well as other steps BW LPG, a global player with a fleet of around 40 vessels, has taken to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
Weather routing has already been widely adopted by the shipping industry as one of many measures to reduce carbon footprints and combat the negative impact of shipping on the environment. A leading global provider of weather data for voyage optimization, ABB Marine & Ports recently expanded its portfolio by completing the acquisition of DTN’s weather routing business for shipping, and now caters to more than 15,000 vessels globally. New applications include ABB Ability™ Ship Performance Optimization System (SPOS), ABB Ability™ Routeguard -Onshore Routing Service, ABB Ability™ Fleetguard -Vessel and Weather Monitoring, and, most recently, Optimal Speed Routing. The vessel and weather monitoring APIs (Application Programing Interfaces) enabling integration with third-party platforms, were also part of the transaction.
Providing a snapshot of uptake by shipping companies in the APAC region, Esmond Yong says that in a recent survey conducted by ABB Marine & Ports, 91 percent of respondents absolutely agreed that weather data is necessary, but it seems few capitalize on the power of integrated data. "Furthermore, only two out of three shipping companies actually feed weather data into their systems, and of those only 10 percent have fully integrated data for use cases where weather data is required. However, we clearly see that recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations such as the Carbon Intensity Index (CII) and decarbonization agendas are accelerating the adoption of integrated weather data to support business-critical decision making," Yong notes.
All three interviewees agree that typically shipping companies in APAC – although not all, of course – are not as quick to adopt new technologies as their Western counterparts. "One example is when satellite communications first became available, Scandinavian and European shipping companies were the first adopters, followed by Asian companies some years later," says Yong. "We see the same general trend in decarbonization, with European companies moving faster given the inclusion, for example, of shipping in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme [ETS]. However, China and the bigger trade partners in Asia are implementing, for example, the IMO fuel data collection system (DCS)1 within their waters, which is very positive."
Capt. Kevin Knott notes that, historically, shipowners everywhere have tended to be very conservative when it comes to embracing new technology and digitalization, until regulations force the issue. "In the case of weather routing services, certainly when I was at sea back in the 70's, 80's and 90’s and before satellite communications, weather routing was viewed with a degree of caution, and justifiably so in some cases because of inaccurate data. A master, for example, may have been sceptical because they may have felt they knew more, based on their long experience. And there probably were instances where ships being weather routed found themselves in a worse situation than if they had depended on the master's knowledge and skill."
However, he adds that "with the latest forecasting technology, the availability, accuracy, and frequency of the data is exceptional, so it's a great tool for routing and voyage optimization. The primary objective for BW LPG is and always will be safety – of the crew, the ship, and the cargo – but with the additional benefits of just-in-time arrival in port, operational efficiencies, and emissions reduction. Fortunately, BW LPG has always been a first-mover. We recognized quite a few years ago that weather routing is a very viable, cost-efficient, and, as it's turning out, environmentally positive decision."
Only two out of three shipping companies actually feed weather data into their systems, and of those only 10 percent have fully integrated data for use cases where weather data is required.
Although the results may be subjective, BW LPG's many different trials of weather-routed single voyages have shown that, depending on the time of year, fuel savings of up to 5~7 percent are achievable. "I'm comfortable stating that in the years we've been using ABB Routing Services, and before that DTN and MeteoGroup, we have seen some very promising results with regards to fleet annual fuel savings," Knott says.
He also likes to call ABB Routing Services 'traditional' weather routing in as much as there is still human interaction between ABB's route a
lnalysts and BW LPG's masters, second officers, and deck officers. "It's by no means a passive process. They can always pick their own route if they have good reason, but they certainly understand the benefits."
BW LPG also uses ABB Routing Services' post voyage analysis for continuous improvement. "We try to optimize all our voyages in terms of increasing or decreasing speed depending on the weather conditions underway and the predicted conditions for the days in advance. This allows the ship to complete the voyage in the most fuel-efficient way and maintain or hopefully even improve its CII rating," says Knott. "Sometimes we see different results from similar ships doing similar voyages at similar times. They aren't huge but it does point to the human factor; for whatever reason the master, chief engineer or other officers are technically operating the ship in slightly different ways. Obviously if the gap was big, we would have to investigate further."
BW LPG has also been instrumental in suggesting new functionality. "After each voyage, in addition to a post voyage analysis, we also receive a savings report. Each quarter we present to our Board theoretical savings utilizing weather routing services. The savings report is very useful as it justifies using the service," Knott says.
We see a general trend in decarbonization, with European companies moving faster given the inclusion, for example, of shipping in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Trends and Challenges
Knott says decarbonization regulations have definitely influenced the increased adoption of weather routing and voyage optimization systems as part of shipping companies’ sustainability efforts. "The need for vessels to not only comply with present emission requirements but to continually meet or better even more stringent targets in the future has accelerated the need to adopt fuel-efficiency best practices."
He believes weather routing will soon be commonplace for Asia-based operators, too. "Given the tightening regulations, everybody will have to increase their focus on emissions. Until such time that new zero- or low-CO2 (footprint) fuels are readily available and practicable cost-wise, slower steaming, and voyage optimization are the only ways you can realistically reduce emissions."
Andaya notes that total voyage costs will also increase as result of the cost of emissions and more expensive alternative fuels. "The main goal is to save on fuel while keeping the vessel away from bad weather. This type of optimization is more complex than traditional weather routing as it requires input from more sources. In addition, whereas weather routing companies traditionally dealt directly with the ship’s captain, now there is significant involvement of shore-side operators and vessel/fleet performance teams."
He acknowledges that weather routing services can't always be 100 percent accurate. "Most of our advice is based on the personal experience of our route analysts, who are all former seafarers. We should be able to defend why we are recommending a particular route versus just a straight path. Some masters can be hard-headed when you advise them in this way – as a former seafarer myself I understand the mindset that 'this is the route that we've always taken, why change?'. But now with global warming and climate change you have to think differently. That can be a challenge but when we explain our rationale, masters are more than happy to start a fruitful collaboration."
Moreover, climate change will potentially lead to a lot more instances of severe weather. "There is clear evidence of this globally," says Andaya. "For example, recently four tropical systems arose in close proximity off southwest Mexico, which is highly unusual. One tropical storm is already a headache for route analysts, but four in the same place at the same time is very worrying. And right now [at time of writing] there's two hurricanes building up side-by-side off the US West Coast. This is proof enough of climate change for me."
Knott says this strongly reinforces the business case for weather routing, especially in typhoon-prone Asia. "The main driver is safety, and as we enter this uncertain time of dangerous weather systems, it makes even more sense. The weather is by nature dynamic, but weather systems happening outside the normal seasons definitely lend themselves to efficient weather routing and voyage optimization."
Measuring vessel performance
Yong says vessel performance evaluation is impossible without a proper weather routing algorithm. "To put it very simply, we plot the ship's performance through its voyages based on high-resolution weather data, Automatic Identification System (AIS) position and our different standard ship profile libraries of consumption data. But we can improve this further if the owner, like BW LPG for example, provides us with ship-specific data so we can drill down to ship-specific performance."
One aspect of weather routing and predictive forecasting that some may find counter-intuitive is that on any trade the shortest distance is not necessarily the most efficient. "Our routing algorithm runs the vessel based on its condition and the charter party clauses whereby it can actually travel a longer distance, but still save more fuel and reduce CO2 emissions thanks to proper weather routing. A longer distance with lower consumption gives a better CII rating instantly," Yong says. "Think of it like real-time driving directions for a certain journey you want to make – the app will find an alternative, better route to avoid traffic. Then apply that to a ship deviating around heavy weather."
With the latest forecasting technology, the availability, accuracy, and frequency of the data is exceptional, so it's a great tool for routing and voyage optimization.
ABB sets the benchmark
Post voyage analysis is particularly important for charterers who may be unsure about a particular voyage and ask the client to provide a post-voyage report. "Which we of course are happy to provide," Andaya says. "The three main parameters we set are speed and Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) consumption, and taking the weather into account, we can see if the vessel has met the specified performance or not. Sometimes a master on his own judgment has slowed down to 12 knots, for example, when we advised him to proceed at 15 knots. We have to analyze why the ship didn't perform optimally speed-wise on that particular part of the voyage, which could lead to a legal tussle."
Yong adds that some shipping companies shop around until they find a weather routing provider that will give a report in their favor. "That's a challenge, because who sets the benchmark? Thankfully, we have been providing the service since 1986, so our reports are trusted and generally considered to be the benchmark."
Further efficiency innovations
Weather routing is just one feature of the technology landscape aimed at improving vessel efficiency and sustainability, Knott points out. "At BW LPG we are also proud that we were the first shipping company, not only in Asia but globally, to convert a total of 15 Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) to dual-fuel capability with (Liquefied Gas Injection Propane) LGIP main engines. We made the investment four to five years ago as the vessels went into drydock. This has resulted in measurable fuel efficiencies due to the lower carbon footprint of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) – either propane or butane – and the increase in calorific value versus the compliant HFO or LFO fuel oils they were using before, so we burn less fuel ton-to-ton with lower emissions as a result."
At the same time the vessels went into drydock, BW LPG invested in high-spec anti-fouling hull coatings that have also proven to be very effective. "We inspect the hulls every six months and do a propeller polish at the same time, but so far none of the ships has required hull cleaning. That also means burning less fuel and less emissions, so it was definitely worth the initial outlay," Knott says.
BW LPG has also led the way in adopting a hardware/software system on all its in-house managed ships that streams real-time data from any piece of onboard equipment with a digital output. "This allows accurate and timely data collection, continuous monitoring, and subsequent analysis of equipment performance. All the data is processed in the cloud and presented on a dashboard visible both to masters and chief engineers, as well as the office. The platform integrates AI elements for Total Fuel Oil Consumption (TFOC) analysis and can be used to schedule maintenance much more effectively together with the ships' existing planned maintenance systems."
In the years we've been using ABB Routing Services we have seen some very promising results with regards to fleet annual fuel savings.
First in the market with Optimal Speed Routing
Addressing what ABB can provide that others cannot, Yong flags up the ABB Routing Services' new Optimal Speed Routing endpoint service – a unique route optimization algorithm where track and speed are optimized simultaneously to minimize voyage costs while keeping the vessel safe. "We optimize from waypoint to waypoint instead of the whole journey at a single constant speed. That may mean the vessel slows down for the first half of the voyage, then speeds up to avoid bad weather. As far as I know, no one else is currently offering this capability."
Andaya adds that the core objective of Optimal Speed Routing is to calculate if a vessel is overspending on fuel during a particular voyage. "We look at the difference between routes, for example a direct route and the route we provide, and can demonstrate to the client which is more efficient just based on distance. Again, the shortest route is not always the optimum route, which has resulted in significant savings for many customers."
Digitalization drives demand
Yong says the great benefit of digitalization is that it brings all stakeholders together around one table. "Everything is being simplified, with everybody being able to access the same platforms. With ABB Routing Services you just need to look at the portal and you know what's happening. There's also been a huge reduction in email communications, which not only makes life much easier for all parties, but at the same time transfers a lot of decision-making from the master to the shore. Traditionally the master always bore a big responsibility for the safety and performance of the vessel, but now that burden is shared. A lot of shipping companies have even built their own fleet performance centers where voyage planning is decided. It's a complete paradigm shift."
Andaya adds that there is much greater shore-side visibility thanks to increased connectivity. "This is behind the growing demand we see for integrated platforms where our route analysts, office-based vessel operators, and crews can work together to achieve voyage optimization goals. As Esmond Yong says, this not only slashes the number of emails, but also means that instead of software installed only on a vessel, optimization can run in the cloud using much higher-density and real-time updated data sets, which significantly improves the route calculations. So, digitalization is making voyage optimization easier to use, more transparent, accurate, and accessible."
We try to optimize all our voyages in terms of increasing or decreasing speed depending on the weather conditions underway and the predicted conditions for the days in advance.
Reducing impact of container losses
ABB weather routing can benefit the environment in other ways as well, Yong says. "For example, our algorithms can integrate with the seakeeping capabilities of ABB Ability™ OCTOPUS - Marine Advisory System to prevent loss of containers overboard due to bad weather. This has been a big problem for liner operators in recent years, leading to considerable negative environmental impact – especially if the container is carrying, for example, batteries or other hazardous cargo that can potentially destroy ecosystems – and not least navigational hazards, especially in busy seaways. Back in winter 2021, the global container only in July the fleet lost 3,000 containers at sea and in July a 18,000-TEU vessel lost close to 44 containers due to bad weather. We are helping to counter this risk with our SPOS seakeeping tool, which calculates routes that avoid significant ship motions (also known as parametric rolling), incorporating ship-specific 3D hydrodynamic modeling into the voyage optimization logic. And we're seeing a lot more lines adopting this solution to help keep containers safely onboard."
Industry partnerships driving change
An increasing number of industry partnerships are taking shape across the world, embracing stakeholders including government agencies, independent organizations, shipping companies, and other interested or invested parties, who are working to reduce CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and promote maritime sustainability. In Asia, Knott highlights the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD) in Singapore, which is jointly sponsored by shipping companies, the Singapore Maritime Port Authority and others to investigate new fuels and accelerate decarbonization.
"On a more granular level, an increasing number of service providers are willing to share data through collaborative digitalization, benefiting both themselves and the end-users of their platforms. A particular example is sharing live data from ships with paint manufacturers, allowing them to analyze the effectiveness of hull coatings," he adds.
Yong agrees wholeheartedly. "More service providers and system integrators globally are collaborating with shipping companies to jointly develop new sustainable solutions. Many have set up shop here in Singapore not only because it's a maritime hub, but there's also a lot of government initiatives, including the GCMD, to help with research and tech-start programs."
ABB Routing Services is a case in point. "We're not just a data service for owners like BW LPG. We also provide relevant weather data (historical and predictive), routing algorithms, and voyage performance data through APIs to technology developers, enabling them to offer a range of solutions including safety of navigation. For example, we furnish the A*STAR Institute for High Performance Computing (IHPC), part of the Singapore government's A*STAR Agency for Science, Technology and Research, with certain data sets to help them in their research. Their objective is to increase the sustainability, safety, and efficiency of Singapore’s maritime ecosystem by translating research capabilities into deployable maritime solutions."
With ABB Routing Services we can now contribute significantly to helping shipping companies reduce fuel consumption and emissions by ensuring the best weather-optimized route for every voyage.
He adds that ABB has also been engaging with partners under the auspices of the GCMD to study the efficiency of rotary sails in different weather conditions. "We're contributing to research with our 25 years of high-quality weather data in different seasons in different parts of the world, to see if using sails on particular routes at specified times of the year will be effective."
In conclusion, Yong says the inclusion of advanced weather routing completes the jigsaw in the ABB Marine & Ports portfolio. "Up to now, we have focused mostly on energy-efficient equipment to spur decarbonization. However, with ABB Routing Services we can now contribute significantly to helping shipping companies reduce fuel consumption and emissions by ensuring the best weather-optimized route for every voyage. It's exciting because it plugs a missing piece in the holistic model we can offer to the industry."
