EcoSail

Eco-friendly and customer-driven sail-plan optimisation service

The EcoSail service (earth observation for maritime navigation) consists of a sail plan that guides ships how to efficiently sail from one port to the next. The system contains unique observational capabilities and computational models based on spaceborne data to calculate the route for the ships to follow. This in turn results in a safer and more economical execution of maritime and offshore operations.

Fuel and emission reduction

EcoSail is achieving a significant fuel reduction in the operation of a ship due to the improved and accurate sail plans that are updated in real time.
Similarly, the emission of CO2 and other pollutants (such as sulphur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter) can be reduced, resulting in less pollution along major trade routes and coastal areas. In particular, it allows the ship operator to become aware of the actual ship pollution and thereby provides means to comply with environmental regulations at any given geographical location.

Optimized sailing time

EcoSail makes it possible to optimize the sail plan according to operational requirements, such as port slot times, channel passing slots (Suez or Panama channel) and tide schedules (for instance, a VLCC needs high tide to enter and leave the port of Rotterdam).

Asset preservation and maintenance

The life expectancy of a commercial ship depends to a large extent on the stress the ship (and especially the hull of the ship) is experiencing at sea. Commercial ships are designed for a life expectancy of around 30 years. With the appropriate observational data and fatigue models, maintenance cycles can be significantly optimized to an 'as needed basis'. Furthermore, an explicit reduction of the exposure to heavy sea can significantly extend the life expectancy of the ship asset.

Passenger and crew comfort

Sail plans can be optimized to avoid irregular waves and thereby unpleasant journeys for passengers and crew. This especially holds for cruise ships, where passenger comfort, well-being and safety are important.

Eco-friendly and customer-driven sail-plan optimisation service

Aware of a clear market need to increase the global maritime transport industry’s cost efficiency and decrease its environmental impacts, a novel solution was sought and found in combining technologies never combined before in maritime solutions.

EcoSail’s ability for route optimisation will allow ship operators to increase fuel efficiency by 7%, decrease emissions by 7%, and more accurately avoid hazardous weather conditions leading to reduced wear and tear, reduced maintenance costs and extension of a ship’s operational lifetime.

Fuel and emission reduction

Optimized sailing time

Asset preservation and maintenance

Passenger and crew comfort