Pacific Basin optimising entire fleet with port time management platform

January 25, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Pacific Basin, a dry bulk shipping company, has decided to utilise the PortLog solution, known as the world’s first port time management platform, to its entire fleet in order to reduce emission and the risk and costs related to time spent in ports.

Under this ‘landmark deal’, PortLog, a subsidiary of Marcura, will provide the port time management platform to all of Pacific Basin’s over 260 owned and chartered vessels, which are said to make over 5,000 port calls every year in around 600 ports across 100 countries.

The shipping company expects the solution to dramatically reduce the risks and costs associated with time spent in ports, as well as driving operational, cost and environmental efficiencies within the port environment and ‘last mile’ of the supply chain.

By increasing vessels’ operational efficiencies and reducing fuel consumption and associated emissions within the port environment, the solution also represents a part of Pacific Basin’s wider sustainability strategy.

At the same time, it supports the wider industry to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) decarbonisation targets, Pacific Basin added.

Solution for estimating costs and reducing risks

As described, PortLog is a single platform and digital solution combining standardised Statement of Fact (SoF) data with AIS, weather, and berth-level restriction data.

By deploying this solution, Pacific Basin will be able to measure and analyse its vessels’ turnaround times in ports, and deliver insights into costs, berth-level restrictions and productivity.

Specifically, the solution will enable the company to estimate ports costs, reduce risks and identify opportunities related to port stays by predicting port time and delays at a terminal level, having up-to-date information on real-time terminal restrictions, weather and rain impact as well as port holidays.

This will create the ‘learning loop’ that will share key insights at terminal level accros the company and its entire fleet, Marcura explains.

Additionally, the PortLog team will work with Pacific Basin to ensure customised implementation of the solution for chartering managers and operations managers, enabling the analysis of specific data as well as developing intelligence and insights from Pacific Basin’s port calls.

According to Marcura, the solution contributes to operational efficiencies within seaborne trade as vessels spend up to 40% of their time within ports, incurring large costs, unplanned downtime and an increase in unnecessary and avoidable emissions.

Commenting on the development, Kristian Helt, chartering director at Pacific Basin, said: “We are investing in digitalisation and state-of-the-art systems and digital solutions that are needed to drive greater operational and cost efficiencies and reduce our environmental impact. In conjunction with this, harnessing data to provide real insight and intelligence enables better decision making.

“Utilising an advanced platform like PortLog is representative of our strategy and commitment to such investments and to delivering a more optimised and efficient freight service in our customers’ supply chain. This enhances our competitive advantage, provides more value for our customers and supports the decarbonisation of the shipping industry”.

“It is now clear that the opportunity for tramp shipping to further improve efficiencies and reduce costs and emissions now lies within the port environment; with PortLog we are helping companies solve this crucial last piece of the voyage optimisation puzzle”, added Jens Poulsen, CEO of Marcura Group.