Cloud based solution helps SolstadFarstad save fuel

L to R: Yxney CEO Gjord Simen Sanna and SolstadFarstad Environmental Engineer Svein Erik Isaksen

MARCH 1, 2018 — Norway’s SolstadFarstad and Yxney Maritime AS have completed a pilot project to develop and roll out the Yxney fuel efficiency and emission reduction software MarESS.

MarESS is a cloud based database that gathers existing data from vessels, and combines it with other sources like AIS and weather-routing info, to give ship managers the information they need to perform fuel saving initiatives. No hardware or installation is required and, according to Xney, it requires little band-width – so it can be used easily with any offshore internet-connection.

During the pilot, the combination of MarESS and skilled crews generated significant fuel savings for SolstadFarstad and its clients, leading to the contract for implementation for the entire fleet.

“SolstadFarstad’s work with the SolstadFarstad Green Operations campaign is taken to the next level with MarESS,” says Tor Inge Dale, COO in SolstadFarstad. “It provides cost savings for us and our customers, but it also reduces emissions, helping us contribute to reaching UN sustainable development goals 12 and 13, Responsible Production and Consumption, and Climate Action.”

The merger of Solstad Offshore, Farstad Shipping, Deep Sea Supply and REM Offshore created one of the world’s largest operators of advanced offshore service sector, with 147 vessels in total. The size of the fleet allows SolstadFarstad and Yxney to leverage large amounts of data through targeted analytics, identify the best performers across the fleet, and transfer their practice to other ships.

Yxney CEO Gjord Simen Sanna believes that SolstadFarstad’s vast fleet management experience and knowledge was invaluable in the pilot,

“They had specific requirements and provided detailed feedback,” he says. “Having access to their expertise has helped make MarESS a better product.”

Sanna also believes the hands-on history of Yxney’s founders gives them unique insight into fuel consumption and savings: “We have worked offshore on more than 100 vessels, so we can recommend targeted fuel saving measures related to vessel positioning when MarESS identifies efficiency gaps.”

SolstadFarstad Environmental Engineer Svein Erik Isaksen, says “With MarESS, our clients can login, track each vessel working under their contract and monitor their fuel consumption. They can also communicate with us and the vessel through the system. This helps to keep the dialog focused on tangible factors and measures for improvement, with everyone striving to meet the same goals,” he concludes.

Innovation Norway financed the MarESS pilot. SolstadFarstad and Yxney also perform projects to increase energy efficiency in the fleet with support from Norwegian state owned agency Enova which works to facilitate Norway’s transition to a low-emissions society, with potential for direct savings pegged at between 8.7 and 11.4 percent.