Interview with Opsealog: Power of digitalization levels up vessels’ energy efficiency game as shipping regulations tighten their grip on fleets’ emissions

With breakthroughs in sustainability and efficiency arenas within the offshore energy, shipping, and maritime industries, giant strides are being made in transforming the offshore supply vessel (OSV) landscape. This brings a digital metamorphosis to ship owners’ fleets engaged in subsea, oil, gas, and renewable energy domains, according to Opsealog, France’s provider of data integration and analysis services for the maritime and offshore industry, which paints a picture of the OSV future rich with evolving technologies, a blossoming array of propulsion tools, and decarbonization gains.

As the offshore world undergoes a sea change, keeping tabs on shifting trends, laws, and regulations will enable vessel owners to future-proof their fleets in preparation for the net zero era. During the years-long hiatus, which started around 16 summers ago, shipping and maritime players had a lot of breathing room in many ways.

Things have reached a turning point with market recovery, as rising vessel demand, high fuel prices, and tightening sustainability regulations feed the growing appetite for digital technologies to optimize operations, turn the energy-saving mode on, and prompt inactive fleet reactivations. 

While global vessel shortages are pushing day rates to the highest level since 2008, the hunger for newbuilds that usually strikes during growth periods seems severely diluted by an increasing reluctance to bankroll such endeavors due to elevated costs, turning the financing process into a challenging road.

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction quest plays a starring role in shipping and maritime innovations, with the need to unleash the energy-saving benefits across active fleets interwoven into the mix.

However, there is a strong interest in extending the active fleet’s service life by pouring investments in technology-driven retrofits, efficiency upgrades, propulsion system revamps such as wind-assisted propulsion, digital refurbishments, and vessel conversions to give a new lease on life to existing ships and open new areas of business.

This is especially evident in the case of OSV fleets serving exclusively the oil and gas market, which are now being furnished with new solutions to make them ready for work in renewable and other emerging low-carbon and clean power markets within the offshore energy ecosystem. 

Having witnessed a rise in vessel optimization pursuits that favor digital system upgrades, Offshore Energy has dived into the role of digitalization moves in helping the OSV market to overcome decarbonization-motivated regulatory hurdles and unlock new opportunities for its fleets through an interview with Damien Bertin, Business Director at Opsealog.

Bertin sees the efficiency bundle of achievements stemming from digital solutions as low-hanging fruit that will propel fleet digitalization journey to new heights, laying the groundwork for greater measures to be taken toward emission cuts in vessel owners’ decarbonization roadmaps as they adjust their sails more firmly toward shipping industry’s net zero shores.

For the French player, the key to curbing costs, enhancing efficiency wins, and minimizing the environmental impact within the OSV sector lies in the hands of fleet performance optimization measures that are sweeping across the entire shipping and maritime domain areas, spotlighting the growing appetite and potential applications of data-driven insights across the OSV world.

Opsealog is adamant in its belief that such steps go beyond fuel savings, as enhanced digitalization is anticipated to be essential for compliance with ever-stricter environmental regulations and the need to showcase environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance to customers and investors.

As charterers face a drastic increase in global costs after several years of low ones, improved daily rates serve to cushion the woes arising from high fuel prices, driving a push towards digital systems that lend a helping hand in monitoring operations for the sake of spotting and dealing with areas that require changes to improve fuel efficiency in the immediate term and pinpoint the best vessels and fleet size to fulfill requirements in the longer term.

Opsealog claims that understanding operational needs and environmental conditions is a crucial factor in picking the right OSV for the job that needs to be done, regardless of whether these vessels are being booked for frequent trips between ports and offshore installations, standby operations, or inter-field movement to support diverse operational tasks.

While there are more than a dozen OSV types tailored for specific tasks and conditions, the four that are mostly used in the oil and gas industry include platform supply vessels (PSVs), which are designed to transport supplies to and from offshore drilling rigs and platforms and represent approximately 40% of the OSV market.

The second type on the list belongs to anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels that tend to account for about 30% of the OSV market, as they are used for anchor setting, rig towing, and various support activities, thanks to their powerful winches and robust towing capabilities.

Furthermore, the third place goes to multipurpose support vessels (MPSVs), comprising roughly 15% of the OSV market and capable of performing versatile tasks including supply duties, construction support, and remotely controlled vehicle (ROV) operations, as their advanced technology and equipment enables them to support various offshore activities. This trio is said to hold about 85% of the OSV market in its hands.

Last month, Opsealog landed a two-year deal with Azule Energy, Angola’s largest independent energy player, to slash fuel consumption and GHG emissions footprint from the 28-strong OSV fleet in the first year, expanding to the Angolan operator’s entire 33-vessel fleet in 2025. This will be accomplished through enhanced data collection, integration, and analysis, aiming for up to 10% GHG emission cuts based on the French firm’s initial estimates.

Opsealog’s e-reporting system Streamlog is set to fully digitize onboard reporting and deliver real-time vessel tracking for the fleet operating across three oil blocks in Angola. The French company’s Marinsights platform will look into the data to provide in-depth insights that will help boost operational efficiency, decrease fuel consumption and emissions, and maximize vessel safety and reliability.

This is expected to help Azule Energy address challenges such as the frequent need for vessels to move urgently between different blocks, as data-driven insights will develop a cost allocation system per block, tackling the additional costs and emissions associated with vessel scheduling deviations.

With experience in the maritime offshore sector that spans more than 15 years, Opsealog’s Bertin, whose background revolves around Maritime Law, International Business, and Maritime Management, is at the helm of the French-headquartered player’s maritime decarbonization, promoting customer-centric solutions that drive performance across the sector.

• The offshore energy boom, particularly in the oil and gas industry, has led to vessel shortages and a boost in day rates. Can you give us a brief overview of the most prominent market trends in the offshore support vessel (OSV) arena and the challenges that shipbuilders and vessel owners are facing when it comes to these ships, which are tasked with logistical servicing of offshore platforms and subsea installations? 

Damien Bertin: The stars are aligned for investments in energy efficiency in the OSV sector, and this is the case for both charterers and shipowners. After several years of lull, the market is recovering, leading to shortages of OSV vessels as many were scrapped or left the markets in recent years.

With fuel prices and daily rates at levels unseen since 2008, charterers are seeing their costs increase drastically and are seeking ways to control fuel costs. This is driving a push towards digital systems that enable them to monitor their operations to improve fuel efficiency in the immediate term and identify the right vessels and fleet size to fulfill their needs in the longer term.

From the shipowners’ perspective, vessel shortages and attractive rates are incentivizing them to maximize vessel availability to make the most of a favorable market. However, many are reluctant to invest in newbuilds amid high interest rates and persisting uncertainty on new fuels and regulation. As a result, much focus for OSV owners is instead on extending the life of vessels, which is a powerful driver for the adoption of digital systems.

• Do you believe that more newbuild orders are on the cards in the foreseeable future or should we expect further steps to be taken to extend the service life of existing fleets? 

Damien Bertin: The re-activating offshore market is causing OSV owners to reconsider their fleet composition and upgrades; however, high interest rates currently make finance more challenging and newbuild orders less attractive. Moreover, after a very difficult few years, many owners are not yet ready to make major investments in newbuilds. The same stands for their financiers, who are reluctant to finance such projects without solid counter-guarantees from charterers.

Given current market trends, the ability to save fuel will be central to any investment, be it newbuild orders or energy-saving technology retrofits. However, given the current uncertainty on new fuels and regulations, we can expect much of the industry efforts to focus on vessel life extension for the time being.

• Which moves do you anticipate to remain dominant in the coming period when it comes to the repurposing and upgrading endeavors related to existing fleets? 

Damien Bertin: Proactive shipowners are currently looking at investments that will help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This includes new propulsion systems, energy-saving devices, and scrubbers, for example. Moreover, we see pioneering shipowners investing in the digitalization of their fleets to improve their operational efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.

Our newly announced deal with Bourbon Marine & Logistics is a case in point. The project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the fleet of 104 vessels through enhanced fleet monitoring and data-driven optimization, which will help identify efficiency improvements and recommend best practices to ship management teams.

• Can the OSV sector’s current market tightening and other trends bolster investment in digitalization, energy efficiency, and decarbonization of the maritime industry? Which drivers will propel the growth of these solutions? 

Damien Bertin: We already see this happening today. An already tight market is expected to become even tighter in the coming months, and this is setting favorable conditions for investments in data-driven vessel optimization and fuel efficiency. In short, current market trends are incentivizing charterers to reduce fuel costs, and shipowners to maximize the technical availability of their fleet.

At the same time, while regulatory pressure to decarbonize remains indirect, it will grow rapidly. Although OSV operators are not yet required to comply with EU ETS regulations, they will likely need to do so in the future, according to the European Council. Offshore ships above 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) will be included in the emissions trading scheme from 2027.

Meanwhile, the EU MRV will be extended from 2025 to apply to offshore ships above 400 GT, and by 2026 the European Commission will review whether general cargo and offshore ships between 400 and 5,000 GT should also be included in the ETS. Pressure is also coming from stakeholders beyond the shipping industry: energy majors, (and their shareholders) are looking to reduce upstream emissions, and the public is watching their progress.

Ultimately, what will transform the OSV industry is a combination of initiatives: the efficiency gains delivered by digital solutions are a low-hanging fruit in the short term. In the medium term, we will see more owners deploy dedicated maintenance plans founded on data analysis. Finally, in the longer term, new designs and retrofits will be essential to take the industry to net zero.

• Safeguarding life, property, and the environment at sea, is no easy feat. It is believed that digitalization can help with this. Do you agree with this assessment and if so, could you tell us a bit more about the ways in which digital solutions can fortify offshore safety? 

Damien Bertin: Data-driven insights can help reinforce safety on several levels. In practice, data can support crew management, from ensuring safe levels of manning on board to validating competencies and avoiding any overstay as contractually defined. Health and safety practices can also be monitored and enforced with the support of digital systems. This includes data on drills conducted on board and stop work policy, which helps ensure that safety standards are met and enables teams to be proactive to ensure safety.

• What are some of the most pressing obstacles to digitalization and do you foresee a broadening of the digitalization suite of offerings in the OSV sector? 

Damien Bertin: We need to lift some of the persisting hurdles that keep many owners and charterers in a ‘wait and see’ mode. Firstly, we as solutions providers need to clearly demonstrate the huge return on investment of digital solutions, as ‘low hanging fruit’ that does not require major CAPEX investment and can deliver immediate efficiency gain and fuel savings. Many owners have small teams managing a fleet of 20 to 50 OSVs without the support of a huge technical department, so solutions must be turnkey.

Developing standards for e-reporting is another critical prerequisite to the broader adoption of digital technology by the offshore sector. This will go beyond facilitating data collection for reporting under EU and IMO regulations and will help give a common frame of reference for efficiency improvements. Standards will be a game-changer, helping harmonize digitalization offerings and overcoming resistance from some stakeholders to join the digitalization journey.

Just as important is a change in mindsets, where a digital culture is fostered from bridge to boardrooms. We need a more collaborative approach to digitalization, with greater data exchange and integration, especially between the different providers of digital solutions that work for the same company. As such, solving questions on data ownership is essential. We must ensure that data is safe, will only be used for the purposes within the scope agreed, and will still belong to the owner at the end of the contract.

• How will such a move impact the OSV sector and the overall maritime industry, which is determined to curb its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and make shipping greener? 

Damien Bertin: Digitalization can play a pivotal role in driving improvements in fuel efficiency and fleet performance more generally. By collecting, integrating, and analyzing their fleet’s data, companies are able to determine their starting point, identify opportunities for improvement, benchmark and demonstrate progress, and even model the benefit of future retrofits or installations.

This process helps not only secure immediate gains and cut costs in the short term but also ensures that decision-making on decarbonization strategies is grounded in facts and evidence. Opsealog’s partnership with ADNOC Logistics & Services illustrates the potential of digitalization in delivering tangible and verifiable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. By integrating data from the fleet, we were able to benchmark operational behaviors.

We found that efficiency improvements could be achieved by improving standby practices, optimizing vessel speeds, and enhancing communication between vessels and offshore installations. The project achieved impressive results from the outset, with a 12% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions already at the initial proof-of-concept stage with 11 vessels. The contract has since been extended to ADNOC L&S’ entire OSV fleet.

• Since high interest rates put a damper on newbuild orders, how can innovative energy efficiency measures save the day and enable OSV owners to squeeze more work out of their existing fleets while adhering to net zero targets?

Damien Bertin: Data-driven efficiency measures help owners achieve more with their fleet. You cannot improve what you do not measure. Data helps companies to assess their starting point, identify inefficiencies, and act on them. For example, they can pinpoint the causes of a vessel’s abnormally high fuel consumption, and assess if company procedures are followed. They can examine standby practices and assess the business case for alternatives such as mooring buoys.

Moreover, data plays a key role in benchmarking and measuring actual progress achieved through energy-saving devices, many of which are still in the experimentation stage. Good data management is helping shipowners measure their emissions levels, giving them a fact-based picture of their compliance which facilitates their reporting to the relevant authorities.

Data can also help optimize fleet management more generally. In practice, we already see charterers using digital systems to ensure that the right vessel type and size are assigned to the right task and to identify specific needs for the next vessel to be chartered. On the shipowner side, smart data can support the fleet’s technical availability by helping optimize maintenance schedules to reduce associated costs.

• With decarbonization in full swing, do you believe that OSV jobs in the oil and gas landscape will begin to fizzle out after 2030, enabling renewables to take over completely at some point? 

Damien Bertin: It is impossible to tell with certainty, as this will be driven by the world’s energy needs, as well as energy companies’ strategies.

• Regarding vessel assignments in the clean energy sphere, will offshore wind dominate the OSV sector’s work in the renewable energy ecosystem? 

Damien Bertin: It is too early to tell, as this will depend on broader global trends and energy needs.

• Could you shed more light on a six-month pilot that reportedly saved an average of 45 to 50 tonnes of CO2 per vessel each month? What will be your next steps regarding the project now expanding to Bourbon’s entire PSV and AHTS fleet of 104 vessels? Is there a connection between this and the growing appetite and potential applications of data-driven insights across the OSV sector? 

Damien Bertin: The pilot was deployed on 25 offshore supply vessels for an initial period of six months. In practical terms, our platforms Streamlog and Marinsights were used to centralize vessel reporting and monitor the fleet in real time. This enabled us to gain new insights into operational practices, identify efficiency improvements, and recommend best practices to ship management teams. The pilot demonstrated average monthly emissions savings of 45 to 50 tonnes of CO2 per vessel, and the contract was expanded to Bourbon’s global Marine & Logistics fleet of 104 vessels as a result.

To achieve those results, we use a wide range of data that enables us to monitor all vessel activities and all operational aspects. This includes data from the automatic identification system (AIS), electronic fuel consumption monitoring systems (EFMS), and digitalized logbooks on board. Once integrated and analyzed, this data enables us to pinpoint ways in which we can optimize operations, including engine running hours and speed in various situations, to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

This partnership is a testament to the power of digitalization in driving operational efficiency and environmental responsibility. It shows how, by combining data and human expertise, we can not only paint an accurate picture of each vessel’s fuel consumption and carbon emissions but also unlock tangible actions to immediately improve their performance.

• Is there anything else you would like to add about the current or future OSV market?

Damien Bertin: Using data to improve fuel efficiency is just one way in which digitalization can transform OSV operations. Having fully digitalized, integrated data flows will also play a pivotal role in helping the OSV industry prepare for new regulations and reporting requirements ahead.

Going forward, we will also see the use of data-driven insights expand beyond fuel consumption and emissions reductions, helping optimize fleet utilization and management more broadly and supporting the respect of charter party agreements. As such, one of the most promising future applications of digitalization in maritime will be in verifying whether performance clauses outlined in charter party agreements are being met.

As costs rise, there will be increasing pressure to monitor each party’s obligations and enforce contract performance, making the need for a trusted, independent platform to track and report on contractual obligations even more critical.

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