Union Marine to install NAPA’s digital systems on 55 bulkers

July 8, 2024, by Fatima Bahtić

Singapore-based ship management company Union Marine Management Services (UMMS) has decided to install digital systems developed by Finnish maritime software provider NAPA on initial 55 bulk carriers.

Under the agreement, the company plans to deploy NAPA’s Voyage Optimization and CII Simulator digital systems on bulk carriers.

The systems were integrated into UMMS’s existing in-house ship management web portal, IntuitShip, and are now accessible for shipowners directly on the platform.

Formal contracts have already been confirmed with individual shipowners for the two NAPA tools to be used on 55 vessels.

The use of NAPA Voyage Optimization on board has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by an estimated average of 5-10% for the fleet of bulk carriers, ranging between 25,000 and 180,000 deadweight tons, and operated globally.

In addition, the NAPA CII Simulator will allow owners to predict the CII rating of each vessel for any sea passage, chartering period, or at the end of the year, and model the impact of different measures on the vessel’s rating.

This will enable these shipowners to proactively manage their ships’ CII and keep them within targets amid tightening regulation, as well as predict EU ETS costs, NAPA highlighted.

“With the introduction of new regulations such as CII, EU ETS, and soon FuelEU Maritime, shipowners are increasingly interested in digital technologies that can reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions immediately. This is why we are partnering with NAPA to integrate their ready, proven solutions into our existing platform and provide proactive support for our shipowner clients in their decarbonization journey,” Vinay Gupta, Managing Director at Union Marine Management Services (UMMS), said.

“Operational improvements achieved through voyage optimization and simulation tools represent a low-hanging fruit yet are essential to future-proofing fleets, ensuring compliance and maintaining thriving businesses.”

“Digitalization is critical to the success of decarbonization because it offers pragmatic, practical and immediate solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fleets. Taking this to the next level, there is a huge opportunity to collaborate with providers of digital solutions,” Pekka Pakkanen, Executive Vice President for Shipping Solutions at NAPA.

“This will enable us to enhance our wealth of insights and create truly integrated solutions that respond to the industry’s needs, from bridge to boardroom, and act as a catalyzer for decarbonization efforts within the maritime industry.”