Odfjell to explore synergy of weather routing and wind propulsion

November 13, 2024, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Norwegian shipping company Odfjell SE has decided to deploy Syroco’s weather routing platform on two of its vessels to support their upcoming sail retrofit project.

The vessels, Bow Olympus and Bow Optima, are part of Odfjell’s Hudong-class chemical tankers flying the Norwegian flag. Both built in 2019, the 183-meter vessels are each equipped with 33 stainless steel tanks and operate primarily on transpacific routes.

In early 2025, the Bow Olympus will be fitted with four eSAILs, bound4blue’s suction sails, making it the first tanker vessel in the world to harness this wind assistance technology, according to Odfjell.

As an add-on to optimize the sails’ effects, Odfjell will deploy Syroco’s digital weather calculation tool.

“Odfjell is committed to operating a sustainable business, and we are continuously seeking improvements to reduce our fleet’s climate footprints. Through data-driven decisions and investment in new technology, we optimise the way we operate, to documented results. Our long-time efforts have significantly reduced our fleet’s emissions. The deployment of Syroco’s solution on the first vessels with sail technology is part of our continued optimisation. We look forward to seeing the results,” Erik Hjortland, VP Technology at Odfjell, commented.

Leveraging weather and sea data, Syroco uses a digital twin of the vessel, driven by data, machine learning and naval architecture principles, to calculate optimized routing at any time. The proposed route, updated as often as necessary, takes into account operating constraints including arrival time, seakeeping, safety of navigation, and cargo-specific operational parameters.

As explained, a digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world ship. Generated using historical data, CFD studies and artificial intelligence, the digital twin accounts for all characteristics of the vessel: hull, windage, appendages, propulsion systems, including the wind assistance devices when present. Advanced analysis capabilities allow the operator to fully understand the impact of its decisions.

With specific models for bound4blue’s eSAIL included in the digital twin, Syroco accounts for the specific energy needs and propulsive power created by the wind devices when computing an optimized route. In addition, the solution measures the specific savings brought by the sails and helps confirm the return on investment of the installation.

“Odfjell is looking for a solution that is fast to deploy and easy to use by crews, but also that delivers accurate simulation through high-fidelity models regardless of the complexity of the vessel. Syroco supports both conventional propulsion systems and wind assistance devices and will help the company understand clearly the benefits of each solution and operational choice,” Alex Caizergues, CEO and co-founder of Syroco, said.

Earlier this year, French shipping company Compagnie Maritime Nantaise – MN also opted for Syroco’s weather routing platform for deployment onboard its roll-on/roll-off containership MN Pelican. The aim is to reduce the ship’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.