Marubeni joins Blue Visby Consortium to reduce shipping emissions via digital solutions

Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation is participating in the Blue Visby Consortium to support the development of an integrated system that notifies ships of the optimal date and time for arriving at their destination.

The recently launched consortium is aimed at helping the shipping industry eliminate the wasteful practice of “Sail Fast, then Wait” (SFTW) through a collaborative platform.

It is working on the development of the Blue Visby Solution that uses digital technology developed by software company NAPA to optimise the arrival time of oceangoing vessels and reduce their speed and CO2 emissions.

For its part, Marubeni will support the demonstration and implementation of this solution using its fleet of gas and chemical tankers throughout its chemical trading network with the aim of implementing low-carbon transportation of chemical products.

In the shipping industry, vessels typically sail quickly to an area near their destination and then idle there until they can enter the port, resulting in unnecessary CO2 emissions.

According to the various stages of proof-of-concept research, including an analysis of 150,000 voyages by 13,000 freighters worldwide in 2019, using the solution would enable a reduction of cruising speed and standby time in 87% of voyages.

With the Blue Visby solution, vessel operators will be given an optimal arrival time, so that they can then successfully adjust the vessel’s cruising speed and reduce fuel consumption by using the most efficient route and speed to reach the vessel’s destination, with a potential average CO2 emissions reduction of 16%, the developers claim.

The Blue Visby Consortium is coordinated jointly by NAPA and maritime law experts from the international law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP.

The consortium also includes other maritime leaders from the shipping industry, government, classification societies, consultancies, financing, and environmental organizations: Anglo-American, Carbon Trust, ClassNK, CMB, Drewry, Ocean Conservancy, Lloyd’s, the UK Hydrographic Office, the University of Manchester, Tankers International, and Vertis.

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