Bureau Veritas supports Brittany Ferries in fleet optimisation
Le Galicia is one of the ferries the Fleet Energy and Emissions Forecast tool is used on (Source: Brittany Ferries)
Ship-specific energy models developed by Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore (BVS) have now been adopted by Brittany Ferries to optimise performance and minimise fuel consumption and emissions across its fleet. The ferry company is now using the Fleet Energy and Emissions Forecast tool on routes between France, the UK, Ireland, and Spain.
Brittany Ferries approached BVS to assist individual departments in forecasting ship performance in the context of Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) performance and EU Emissions Trading System requirements. In the longer term, the aim was to map out the most efficient vessel utilisation strategy, including capacity allocation, route planning, retrofit scheduling, timetabling, and voyage management.
The web-based Fleet Energy and Emissions Forecast tool uses a theoretical approach to ship speed and fuel consumption figures that are then validated and calibrated by actual performance data, modelling fuel consumption and emissions for every ship. BVS developed ship-specific energy models which, combined with ports and route data, enable forecasting adapted to the decision-making process.
Brittany Ferries manager, Naval Projects Department, Brice Robinson, commented: “Forecasting is crucial in the decision-making process. This web application gives us the confidence to model and plan individual ship energy requirements and, vitally, make decisions to manage our greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs for different ship and fleet scenarios. We recognise and are excited by the benefits delivered by the BVS web application to optimise route planning to maximise performance and minimise our fuel costs.”
Laurent Verney, BV France Director, said: "We are proud to work together with Brittany Ferries on this great project, which uses the latest advances in digital and modelling tools to deliver efficient and sustainable operations. This partnership has brought together our digital expertise with key insights and validation from Brittany Ferries, whose pioneering spirit, enthusiasm, and energy were critical success factors in delivering this real-life digital decarbonisation solution."
Meanwhile, BVS is continuing to work with Brittany Ferries to support operational decision-making with an advanced weather routing system from software provider Adrena. This was developed with a common R&D process based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations and BV’s SEECAT ship energy modelling software.
