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NAPA strengthens vessel efficiency study with ‘major funding’

10 May 2018

Finland-based maritime software, services and data analysis provider NAPA Thursday says it has received major funding from INTENS to further enhance its work improving technical and operational performance and lowering ships’ emissions.

INTENS is a VTT-coordinated Finnish research-industry collaborative consortium that was formed in early May.

The work enabled by the funding has already begun, the initial trial customers have been agreed, and NAPA expects to be able to publicly discuss the first delivered benefits by the end of 2018.

“Shipping remains the most environmentally friendly way to move cargoes globally, but it will be difficult to achieve significant emissions reductions without fundamental, practical changes to how it operates on a global basis,” comments Pekka Pakkanen, Director, Development, NAPA Shipping Solutions.

“Optimising operations of existing vessels is the fastest way to reduce carbon emissions and lower operating expenditure immediately.”

According to NAPA, bunker fuel comprises between 30% and 60% of all operating vessel expenses, and the total value of bunkers consumed each year is approximately $130 billion.

Numerous studies have shown that the vast majority of sea voyages are not optimally sailed in terms of fuel consumption. It estimates shipowners may be wasting nearly $30 billion each year of unnecessary expenditure on bunkers.

“The collaboration and funding from INTENS will further enhance our market-leading voyage planning services, such as NAPA Fleet Intelligence, that provide a rounded appraisal of a vessel’s performance characteristics and achieve better results,” continues Captain Risto Kariranta, Director, Services, NAPA Shipping Solutions.

“Through these services, we can help mitigate voyage inefficiencies such as ‘rush to wait’ or those caused by rough sea and weather conditions, and take practical and profitable steps to save both fuel and carbon emissions.”

Shipping’s share of global carbon emissions is currently 2-3%, a similar level to major developed countries like Japan and Germany. Under a business-as-usual scenario, the IMO estimates that carbon emissions from shipping could increase by 50%-250%in the coming decades.

Related: EUR 13 million Finnish shipping research group forms

Photo credit: NAPA
Published: 10 May, 2018

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