AI assisted vessels

In 2018 Senior Master Jan Sjöström and his crew on the Stena Scandinavica started a pilot study using AI technology to assist the captain and officers on board to save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions.

In close collaboration between the captain with crew and the transformation and AI team ashore the project soon became a success and became the AI assistant “Stena Fuel Pilot”. The state-of-the-art product combines artificial intelligence, nautical expertise, and data sources such as current, waves, depth, wind as well as the vessel characteristics and the route timetable. The conservative saving of fuel is 2 % and the potential is more than 5 %, equal to 23,000 tonnes of fuel and 70,000 tonnes of CO2, when fully implemented across the fleet.

During 2019-2021 the Stena Fuel Pilot was introduced on another six vessels sailing between Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Latvia. The plan is a fleet-wide implementation but COVID-19 have slowed down the project. Recently the two vessels Stena Flavia and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were added to the growing list of AI assisted vessels. The team continue to implement the Stena Fuel Pilot onboard, and at the same time work agile and continuously improve, develop and update the AI assistant together with the captains and crew onboard. The next task is to investigate the potential of trim, to enable the AI assistant to recommend the optimal trim for each voyage to the officer on the bridge.

This ground-breaking project within the shipping and transportation industry is a result of a successful collaboration between man, woman, and machine; between people and technology; between a team of skilled software developers, data scientists and finally a committed captain and his crew on Stena Scandinavica. With more than 40 years of experience handling Stena Line’s vessels in a safe and fuel-efficient way Jan Sjöström is looking forward to continue to share both his experience and his new insights about AI technology.

“Planning a trip and handling a vessel in a safe and, at the same time, fuel efficient way is craftsmanship. Practice makes perfect, but when assisted by AI a captain or officer can improve how to optimise fuel quicker, in return, this contributes to a more sustainable journey”, says Jan Sjöström.