Reducing Carbon Footprint of Ships in Voyage Planning: A Case Study of Atlantic Passage

Abstract

Determining the most efficient ship routes is crucial for ensuring both safety and fuel savings during voyage planning. Great circle Navigation (GC) and weather routing (WR) are the two most common methods used by navigators for ocean crossings. GC Navigation is renowned for its potential to save time and fuel by following shorter routes over long distances; however, it may expose vessels to adverse weather conditions and sea states due to navigating at higher latitudes. On the other hand, weather routing integrates pilot charts and meteorological data to identify safer routes, albeit potentially longer, minimizing risks associated with rough weather. This study focuses on route planning for a handy-sized tanker contracting a westbound Atlantic ocean voyage within a specific timeframe. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of these two methods. The GC route components were computed using spherical trigonometry equations, while weather routing planning relied on pilot charts and meteorological data. Environmental conditions were simulated and tested in the Transas Full Mission Simulator (NTPRO 4000). The results reveal that the WR method provides 21.3% higher energy efficiency than GC. The insights derived from this research contribute significantly to enhancing the operational efficiency and safety standards of commercial vessels.

Keywords

• Carbon footprint
• Great Circle sailing
• Weather routing
• Voyage optimization
• Energy efficient shipping
• EEOI

Sefer planlamasında gemilerin karbon ayak izinin azaltılması: Atlantik Geçişi örneği

Öz

Sefer planlaması sırasında hem güvenliğin hem de yakıt tasarrufunun sağlanması açısından en verimli gemi rotalarının belirlenmesi büyük önem taşımaktadır. Büyük Daire Seyri(GC) ve Hava durumu yönlendirmesi (WR), denizciler tarafından okyanus geçişleri için kullanılan en yaygın iki yöntemdir. GC seyri, uzun mesafelerde daha kısa rotaları takip ederek zamandan ve yakıttan tasarruf etme potansiyeliyle bilinir; ancak daha yüksek enlemlerde seyredilmesi nedeniyle gemileri olumsuz hava koşullarına ve deniz durumlarına maruz bırakabilir. Öte yandan, hava durumu yönlendirmesi, potansiyel olarak daha uzun da olsa daha güvenli rotaları belirlemek için pilot haritaları ve meteorolojik verileri entegre ederek sert hava koşullarıyla ilişkili riskleri en aza indirir. Bu çalışma, belirli bir zaman diliminde batıya doğru Atlantik Okyanusu seferi yapan handy-size bir tankerin rota planlamasına odaklanmaktadır. Çalışmanın temel amacı bu iki yöntemin etkinliğini değerlendirmektir. GC rota bileşenleri küresel trigonometri denklemleri kullanılarak hesaplanırken, hava durumu rota planlaması pilot haritaları ve meteorolojik veriler kullanılarak belirlendi. Transas Köprüüstü Simülatöründe (NTPRO 4000) çevresel koşullar simüle edildi ve test edildi. Sonuçlar, WR yönteminin GC'ye göre %21,3 daha yüksek enerji verimliliği sağladığını ortaya koymaktadır. Bu araştırmadan elde edilen bilgiler, ticari gemilerin operasyonel verimliliğinin ve güvenlik standartlarının artırılmasına önemli ölçüde katkıda bulunuyor.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• karbon ayakizi
• büyük daire seyri
• hava durumu yönlendirmesi
• sefer optimizasyonu
• denizcilikte enerji verimliliği
• operasyonel enerji verimliliği (EEOI)

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