Expanding efforts to bring eco-efficiency to maritime industry processes in Baltic Sea Region via digital tools

EXOPRODIGI

PROGRAMME 2014-2020

priority

3 Transport

objective

3.4 Clean shipping

EXOPRODIGI

EXOPRODIGI helped shipowners and builders, crew on vessels, and port operators to increase the eco-efficiency of the shipping sector through digital tools.

The challenge

The shipping industry is facing increasing competition from the countries in Asia, which triggers a new way of running a business. It implies cuts of costs in shipping, in shipbuilding as well as the overall supply chain. In other words, there is a need to produce more value with less resources and less pollution. Finally, the uptake of the emerging digital technologies, e.g. big data, sensors, cloud services, virtual and augmented reality, 3D scanning, internet-of-things-based solutions, etc., would optimise many complex processes and ensure eco-efficiency. A purchase and integration of different technologies would require new decisions and investments.

The first project, ECOPRODIGI , looked at the vessel’s lifecycle at different stages and designed, built, piloted and implemented the first solutions. EXOPRODIGI built on these tools and experiences: it improved the decision support system for digital performance monitoring to better respond to the user needs, extended the 3D IT solution that optimises cargo stowage and expanded the 3D technology to ship production.

Budgets

EXOPRODIGI
in numbers

0.88

Million

Total
0.67

Million

Erdf
0.00

Million

Eni + Russia
0.00

Million

Norway

Achievements

Clean and sustainable shipping

EXOPRODIGY enhanced the institutional capacity of the industry end-users at many stages of the
vessel life-cycle; namely during voyages, during stowage operations, and at the assembly process at
the shipyard.
The processes developed, resulted as new, more eco-efficient ways of working through advanced
technology and situational awareness. The developments led to more efficient use of resources in
the Baltic Sea region, namely less emissions, waste, and energy usage in the maritime industry. In
parallel, it supported the Clean Shipping initiative in the region, resulting to a cleaner global
maritime industry.

Introducing digital tools

Besides, the project enhanced the capacities of the ferry industry and shipping companies by developing their digital performance capabilities. Some work was done on increasing the capacities of ports and shipping companies by piloting smart stowage tools for the port operations. In addition, the introduced new process management and 3D scanning tools improved eco-efficiency of shipyards and their suppliers.

All of the piloted solutions aimed at making operations smarter, faster, more economically viable, and friendlier to the environment. The concepts of the developed solutions were shared with enterprises all around the Baltic Sea region. The solutions are affordable, easily implementable, and scalable both for small and large companies. The consortium also strongly believes that many of the developed solutions could also become operational standards around the BSR and even wider.

Outputs

On-board and eco-efficiencies tool

The project has developed, piloted and a validated on-board and eco-efficiencies tool. The tool is complemented by the implementation guidelines and recommendations considering weather conditions and how to sail on shallow water. The tool supports the work of the crew and personnel of smaller ferries in terms of how to sail in a more eco-efficient way considering different factors that affect the sailing environment and fuel consumption. The project estimated that small ferries in Denmark can reach visible reductions in fuel consumption and emissions by utilising the tool and considering the sailing recommendations provided in the project. The reduction varied from 5 to 20%.

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Engine fuel efficiency monitoring tool

The piloted and validated engine fuel efficiency monitoring tool for vessels helps the crew onboard and personnel at shore to monitor engine performance, including detection of engine problems and maintenance work. Thereafter, the personnel within the shipping company can utilise the data for decision-making.

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Eco-efficiencies for cargo stowage optimisation

The solutions to enhance eco-efficiency for cargo stowage optimisation at DFDS routes/vessels has been demonstrated through piloting digital tools: -Vision and tracking technologies (cameras, GPS, etc.) tested at terminal operations, including automatic detection of dangerous situations; -3D technology used to scan all cargo decks of a vessel and a set of different cargo items; - mobile application tested to be further utilised in optimising the loading/discharging of cargo. The solutions proved to enhance the eco-efficiency of the cargo stowage processes of shipping companies at ports.

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Project Stories

16.11.2021

Harnessing the benefits of digitalisation for an eco-efficient maritime industry

Maritime industry in the Baltic Sea region needs innovative ideas to keep up with strict environmental regulations while maintaining competitiveness. Driven by eco-efficiency, the ECOPRODIGI project developed and piloted digital solutions to better measure, visualise and optimise maritime industry processes.
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