By
Rebecca Gibson |
European ferry operator Stena Line is to equip five of its vessels with new software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce fuel consumption and costs this autumn.
The Stena Fuel software is being installed following a successful pilot onboard Stena Scandinavica, which started in 2018. During the pilot, the ship’s senior master Jan Sjöström and his officers used the AI-powered software to make accurate predictions about weather, currents and other variable operating conditions. This enabled them to find the optimal route and performance set-up for all of the ferry’s voyages between Gothenburg, Sweden and Kiel, Germany.
Results showed that fuel consumption had been cut by 2-3% per trip, so the company now aims to implement the software on five ships this year and on all 37 of its Europe-based vessels in 2020.
“Planning a trip and handling a vessel in a safe and, at the same time, fuel-efficient way is craftsmanship,” said Sjöström. “Practice makes perfect, but when assisted by AI, a captain or officer can more quickly improve how to optimise fuel. In return, this contributes to a more sustainable journey.”
Stena Line’s new AI technology will help it to achieve its target of lowering its total fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 2.5% annually.
“Stena Line aims to become the world’s first cognitive ferry company, assisted by AI in all areas by 2021,” said Jari Virtanen, chief transformation officer at Stena Line. “This project is using AI technology to support our captains and officers to save fuel. By improving the efficiency, we reduce both our costs and our environmental footprint. It really embodies Stena Line’s vision of ‘Connecting Europe for a Sustainable future’.”