In a smart grid of connected vessels

2019-07-26

- Let us analyse an example of a cruise from port A to port B. In the first stage, the ship usually sails too fast because the captain wants to make sure that he arrives at its destination port on time. Of course, at higher speeds of the ship larger amounts of fuel are burned. When the ship finally reaches its destination (which is usually too early) the crew loses time on the roadstead waiting for their turn to be unloaded. In other words: in a hurry, we burned a lot of fuel and increased our emissions to the environment just to wait for the roadstead. It doesn't make any sense.

That is why the idea of creating a system in which ports and ships are in constant contact with each other was born - explains Piotr Kabaciński, sales manager of Wärtsilä Finland Marine Solutions, responsible for the Polish market.

This is how Smart Marine Ecosystem is supposed to work, which proposes 3 main directions of solutions to improve the operation of the transport network: the analysis of Big Data sets and the introduction of the concept of “smartness" in relation to ports and ships. The developers of this concept believe that in the near future the smart port will be in direct contact with the smart ship, setting the optimal conditions for the travel and handling of this ship in the port. The point is that the ship, at every moment of its journey, knows exactly what day and at what time it will be unloaded in the port.

The situation could also be reversed. If a port notices that a ship is delayed due to various complications during the voyage, such as storm weather or a breakdown, it will automatically put in its place another unit that is closer to it in order to effectively utilise its handling capacity. The system then regulates the time of entry into port of individual vessels so that they can move at optimum speed and fit into the entire management and planning system in the port.

In its final version, this concept may also apply to all port operations. It may include e.g. the connection of ships entering a port, the handling of their cargo and its departure from the port by rail or land. As a result, a system optimising the entire port operations from both the water and the land side may be developed.

- We are, of course, focusing mainly on the maritime and coastal parts of the system because of our competence in this area. Nevertheless, everyone interested has the right to support these activities with their own ideas. Solutions and implementations on the land part are also very important, and I know that they are also going in the direction of such smart solutions. Every good idea counts, and all of them together will form a smart and efficient transport system - emphasises P. Kabaciński.

This vision is intended to serve as a catalyst for further discussion, but it is also a concept on the basis of which concrete directions for development are proposed. It establishes a single, global and interconnected transport system.

Articole developed with "Namiary na Morze i Handel" magazne

graphic: Wärtsilä / Namiary Na Morze i Handel