ABS to promote ‘Green Corridors’ with new simulation service
The classification society ABS has launched a Green Shipping Corridors Simulation service in a move to support the development of such routes, which are seen as essential in shipping’s decarbonisation drive.
The modelling service coincides with a new ABS publication titled "An Approach to Green Shipping Corridor Modeling and Optimization". This examines two case studies: the Singapore-Rotterdam route for container ships, and the Australia-Japan trade in iron ore.
ABS chairman, president and CEO, Christopher Wiernicki, said: "Green shipping corridors will be at the heart of any successful movement to decarbonise our industry. But these initiatives require advanced analysis beginning at the pre-feasibility stage through the full life cycle of corridor development."
"With assets and operations from multiple stakeholders and a wide range of operational, policy, and regulatory issues to consider, simulation and optimisation tools are ideal for providing critical analysis that accounts for uncertainties of the many variables affecting corridor design."
Wiernicki explained that the simulation will involve a digital twin to assist in decision-making amongst stakeholders. The twin will be used to evaluate different transition path options and fuel scenarios to identify the best approach for a specific route. This will involve macro-level corridor design issues involving stakeholders, themselves, fuel suppliers, port authorities, terminal operators, shipowners and operators, cargo owners and shippers.
ABS said that the model can generate data including fleet fuel mix, new ship investment requirements, annualised port investment, fuel demand predictions for specific ports, fuel storage requirements at specific ports, and year-on-year fuel procurement requirements for bunkering stations.
