Weathernews Inc (WNI) said it has joined forces with Vessel Performance Solutions (VPS) to integrate performance data from ship systems with its weather routing system to help improve voyage planning.

The VESPER software platform by VPS records continuous performance data from the hull and propellers, main and auxiliary engines and boilers to determine speed, RPM and fuel consumption estimates that can be accessed within WNI’s Optimum Ship Routing (OSR) service.

“This raises the value proposition of the OSR system for ship operators as it widens significantly the range of data available to make well-informed routing decisions in support of lower costs, reduced emissions and improved safety,” said Henrik Faurschou, Global Product and Market Strategy Leader at WNI.  

Installed on around 10,000 vessels worldwide, Tokyo-based WNI’s weather forecasting solution harnesses the power of AI technology, supported by human intelligence and logistics, to provide forecasts for avoidance of bad weather that can disrupt voyage schedules.

Faurschou said the alliance with VPS is in response to a market expectation for more integrated and comprehensive systems with a high level of predictive functionality.

Shipping companies such as Golden Ocean, G2Ocean, Lauritzen Bulkers and Ultrabulk already use the services of both WNI and VPS, and therefore will be able to instantly take advantage of the integrated solution.

VPS co-founder, naval architect, Ph.D. Jakob Buus Petersen said, “The joint solution combines the two competencies of vessel performance analytics and weather routing to create a powerful service by using accurate and sophisticated ship models for speed, fuel and load in the voyage optimization simulation.”

VESPER uses well-established mathematical ship models and calibrates these models against operational data to give precise predictions of speed, fuel and RPM as a function of speed, draught, wind and wave conditions.

In practice, this will improve the accuracy of voyage cost estimation and calculation of ETAs in voyage planning for OSR users, according to Petersen.

At the same time, it will provide access to OSR weather data for around 1,000 ships presently using the web-based VESPER service, which also includes advanced data validation, a crew feedback module, advanced diagnostics, charter party and voyage monitoring, as well as environmental compliance reports support like EU MRV, IMO DCS and CII support.

Faurschou said, “Predictability is key for ship operators and integrating weather forecasting with real-time data on equipment performance makes OSR an even smarter tool to minimize voyage cost.

“This collaboration with VPS underpins our common strategy to expand the application of digitalization in pursuit of decarbonization of the shipping industry.”