Dry bulk heavyweights adopt Wayfinder optimisation platform
Caption: Wayfinder will support the shipowners’ efforts by continuously searching for the most efficient route for all vessels on the platform (Source: Sofar Ocean)
Two US-listed dry bulk owners, Eagle Bulk and Star Bulk, based in Greece, have chosen Sofar Ocean’s Wayfinder voyage optimisation platform to cut ship emissions and maximise efficiency. The companies chose Sofar’s system after comparing a number of similar products.
Superior weather forecasting, accurate AdaptiveVPMTM, and continuously optimised voyage guidance were identified as key differentiators, Sofar said in a statement.
The AdaptiveVPM setup uses hybrid physics and a data-driven ship performance model for each vessel to predict speed and fuel consumption across all sea states. As a result, the Wayfinder system predicts speed within an accuracy of 0.5 knots and fuel consumption to within 2% of tonnes consumed.
Tim Janssen, Sofar Ocean co-founder and CEO, commented: "For this massive sector of the world economy to decarbonise, shipping companies will need access to reliable ocean information. This is our focus at Sofar Ocean. We collect ocean data at a planetary scale and use it to produce the most accurate weather forecasts to catalyse maritime solutions that preserve ocean health. Our partnerships with Star Bulk and Eagle Bulk further this mission.ˮ
