Shell invests in technology for reducing vessel carbon footprints

It is working with vessel owners and technology providers to reduce emissions, as it aims to become a net-zero emissions energy business earlier than 2050.

Shell global manager for marine Bo Jardine explained some of the upcoming technologies for reducing the environmental footprint of vessel operations during Riviera’s Offshore Support Journal, Asia virtual conference on 2 December.

This comes as Shell Trading and Shipping & Maritime confirmed they helped develop a voyage-managing solution for lowering the impact of vessels on the environment.

These divisions worked closely with Blue Water to develop the BOSS tool for voyage optimisation.

Shell also uses Kongsberg Digital’s Vessel Insight services for vessel monitoring and optimising onboard operations to lower costs and emissions.

“Connected vessels and IT systems are key,” said Mr Jardine. “We need to see what is going on with the cargo, engine management and crew,” he added.

There are cost benefits for energy companies as they often pay for the fuel OSVs consume during charters, and Mr Jardine thinks vessel owners will benefit through improvements in day rates.

“Charterers will help owners to bring on the technology,” he said.

He thinks better collaboration between owners, charterers, technology providers and equipment manufacturers will enable greater adoption of the technology.

Shell Shipping & Maritime uses BOSS and Vessel Insight to reduce fuel consumption on vessels it owns and charters for oil and gas transportation.

Shell is a major supplier of LNG to shipping and gas-to-liquids fuels to vessels. It is starting LNG bunkering services in the US with a new articulated tug-barge unit in 2021, while test cargoes have started this quarter.

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Kongsberg Digital has formed a new partnership with Blue Water, to offer voyage optimisation solutions to Vessel Insight customers, including Shell Trading and Shipping & Maritime.

This will involve Kongsberg’s Kognifai open system hosting Blue Water’s BOSS solution for performance monitoring and voyage planning.

BOSS collects contextualised data from vessels using Kongsberg’s Vessel Insight infrastructure.

Data is then used in tools on Kognifai to reduce fuel consumption through voyage management.

“Aside from getting access to contextualised data from vessels, one of the main benefits of using Vessel Insight is the immediate access to value adding applications,” said Kongsberg Digital senior vice president for Vessel Insight Eirik Næsje.

Blue Water managing director Kumaresh Gupta said combining high-frequency sensor data with BOSS enables more accurate vessel modelling and performance analysis.

“We foresee a substantial increment in fuel savings and ease of voyage operations, for both existing and potential customers through this integration,” said Mr Gupta.

In a statement Shell said it “has set out an ambition to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, or sooner.”