Over the past two decades, greater accuracy in weather forecasting has become key to planning safer and more efficient voyages. The significance of this continues to grow as ship decarbonization targets become increasingly stricter.
However, while COVID accelerated shipping’s digital engagement, some solutions maintain weather routing as a standalone advisory. This feels increasingly out of step with the voyage performance transparency required of ship owners and operators today.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in January 2025, ABB’s Vessel Routing API will enable the integration of high-resolution meteorological data into Lab021’s Vessellink ship performance platform. This collaboration is specifically designed to enhance operational efficiency and voyage optimization for vessels constructed by Daehan Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and K Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
The MoU followed Lab021’s assessments of available options for accuracy and efficiency, in evaluation also confirming how ABB’s vessel routing API makes weather data available on a plugin basis to support Vessellink as a single source of truth for crew and shore personnel.
Endorsed under Korean Register’s KR Gears (GHG Emission Authentic Reporting System) program, the set-up is already installed on an initial six 75,000 dwt product carriers for International Seaways, with the first undergoing sea trials.
Routing services for marine can help ship owners and operators to find the most optimal route for their vessels, leading to fuel and cost savings. 
Esmond Yong, Sales Director (APAC), Routing Services, ABB Marine & Ports; Paul Lee, CEO, Lab021; Tae-Hyun Koh, Chief Technology Officer, Managing Director, K Shipbuilding Co Ltd; Sang-Cheol Lee, Head of Technology, Daehan Shipbuilding Co Ltd; Geon-Su Seon, Head of ICT Business Division, POSTECH Co Ltd
Route open to opportunities
Following its 2024 acquisition of DTN's weather routing business for shipping, the ABB Ability™ Routing Services portfolio includes ship performance, onshore route planning and voyage/weather monitoring. Post-acquisition, ABB added Optimal Speed Routing functionality, with real-time inputs offering track or speed guidance to avoid heavy weather.
At the heart of the portfolio is a powerful, open API that gives ship operators and integrators the flexibility to embed advanced vessel routing capabilities directly into their own dashboards, workflows, or applications. Designed for seamless interoperability across platforms, this solution empowers businesses to customize operations, streamline decision-making, and unlock greater efficiency without being tied to proprietary systems.
“The API allows continuously updated weather data to be integrated into voyage optimization so that crew and office personnel see the same information,” says Michael Greavette, Head of Commercial, Routing Services, ABB Marine and Ports. “That means weather routing on demand, so that users can plan and monitor for optimized safety and efficiency against arrival time, fuel consumption or any other voyage requirement.
“Instead of receiving results of analytics from a third party, the API puts limitless simulations covering any type or size of ship at the fingertips of the user to plan and adapt the route,” adds Greavette - a qualified meteorologist with 25 years’ experience in voyage optimization.
Digitalization at the chosen pace
The greater need for transparency – to visualize the most efficient route, manage charter expectations and monitor for compliance – continues to push shipping towards systems which provide a “single source of truth” for bridge and office personnel, says Greavette.
But “on demand” weather-based routing also means that digitalization should be adopted “at the user’s own pace”.
“Routing guidance from software is not universally accepted, and another benefit of the API is that it allows the user to choose their approach. ABB Ability™ Routeguard onshore routing service, for example, is a hybrid solution that allows crew to use the API to engage with our routing specialists. I’ve heard this approach described as ‘digitalization with insurance’.”
As a ‘grid to propeller’ solutions provider, ABB can collaborate with end-users and platform developers globally at their own pace to reap weather routing gains by improving maritime safety and efficiency, as well as lowering GHG emissions.
ABB and Lab021 are planning to expand their partnership, and Greavette discloses that ABB Ability™ vessel routing pilots are underway onboard operational vessels of distinct types and sizes.
However, Greavette adds: “This is one example from a growing partnership program to encourage users to plug in to the weather routing capability they need. We’re also using the vessel routing API with a different focus, as part of the OVERSEA digital fleet support centers initiative.
“Fuel prices remain volatile, ship efficiency is a permanent challenge and maritime action on climate change is critical,” he observes. “Application-based vessel routing means that the weather should no longer be an obstacle to shipping’s responses.”
