AI helps ferries reduce fuel consumption in Sweden
As inflation rates and fossil fuel prices tick ever higher, shipping companies worldwide are looking for ways to reduce their fuel consumption. Now a Swedish technology company has developed an AI (artificial intelligence) platform that can help them do just that.
That company is a Gothenburg, Sweden-based software developer Cetasol, which developed its iHelm digital platform in collaboration with the Swedish machine learning specialist Semcon. Since January 2020, the partners have been testing the platform to streamline passenger ferry traffic in Gothenburg’s archipelago and other places all over the world. In the case of the ferry on the Swedish west coast, the captains have reduced fuel consumption by 17% on average by changing their driving patterns, according to the two companies. Further savings are expected as the AI learns and improves over time.
The the platform processes large amounts of data from various sources, such as driving patterns from experienced captains, weather data, GPS position information and data on ocean currents. The solution then analyzes the information to deliver “actionable insights” that show the captain how to “drive” as energy-efficiently as possible.
The system consists of an onboard sensor kit that provides real-time visual information to the captain, while providing shore-based personnel with an analytical cloud platform for statistics, reports and insights.
Pilot tests show that iHelm can reduce fuel consumption by 10% to 25% for small to medium vessels less than 330 feet in length and 3% to 7% for larger vessels over 490 feet. However, Cetasol says savings are expected to increase for both classes of ships as the AI learns and improves.