Blue INNOship project yields results for J. Lauritzen, Torm

JUNE 9, 2017 — Danish shipowners J. Lauritzen and Torm have generated significant annual fuel savings as a result of participating in a work group organized as part Blue INNOship, Denmark’s largest maritime innovation project.

J. Lauritzen, Torm, VPS Vessel Performance Solutions, Aalborg University and Force Technology have engaged in a work group seeking to develop a vessel performance decision support tool to promote more energy efficient operations and thus reduce emissions.

According to Sverre Patursson Vange, Head of Performance Management in J. Lauritzen, the total fuel savings for J. Lauritzen’s fleet of dry bulk and gas carriers amounted to almost 5% in 2016 compared to the year before.

“The total fuel saving corresponded to approximately 22,500 tons and thus enabled us to significantly reduce emissions of our fleet. In addition, the new system has made it easier to monitor whether external tonnage suppliers live up to their contractual obligations when it comes to the speed and consumption of ships,” Mr Vange says.

The combined cost savings for J. Lauritzen and Torm add up to around $10 million.

“The cost savings are noteworthy and of course welcomed in the light of the difficult market conditions,” says Lauritzen Head of Fleet Management Claus Winter Graugaard. “They are a result of the simple and transparent reports developed through the Blue INNOship initiative, as well as a more focused approach to performance. In addition, our focus on the processes around the optimization of efficient ship operation has led to improved cooperation across our entire organization.”

The results of the project are good news, says project manager Jakob Buus Petersen of Vessel Performance Solutions, the company that developed the software used in the project.

“Through Blue INNOship we have had the opportunity to design a system that draws on our existing knowledge and on many levels, meets the needs of shipping companies. Linked together with the input from J. Lauritzen and Torm, we have created a new generation of performance management systems with a noticeable effect,” says Mr. Petersen.

“If we join forces to solve complex issues, we can achieve these kinds of results,” says Blue INNOship Program Manager Magnus Gary. “It’s no secret that it’s complicated to create these collaborations and make everyone work in the same direction. But results like these show the value of thinking in partnerships across the entire maritime industry.”