Ulstein's digital tools make ships safer, smarter and greener

Human errors are responsible for 75 to 96 per cent of all incidents at sea, and a lack of useable information plays a crucial role in that.

Fuel analytics, meanwhile, has a huge potential for cutting costs and emissions, even though it only recently has entered the list of priorities for many in the shipping sector.

The demand for data analytics tools for marine applications – including decision support and fuel consumption monitoring – will continue to grow, and cloud capabilities are an essential part of these.

Ulstein Blue Box is a simple solution for connecting a ship’s data system to the cloud. It is a vendor-independent hardware cabinet which is simple to set up and which can be installed on any ship.

The solution allows ship operators to receive direct information about conditions such as engine setup, speed or ballast. The data analysis provides a direct response to whether the ship is being operated optimally, and if not, the ship operators automatically receive recommendations for improved results.

The system offers great potential for fuel savings and reduced emissions, as well as for safer marine operations through data-driven decision making.

The Ulstein Blue Box has helped Remøy Shipping to reduce fuel consumption on board the Rem Hrist by more than 10 per cent over one year.

The shipping company’s experience exemplifies many of the benefits that come with Ulstein Blue Box, such as simple data extraction for reporting and freeing time for crew to focus on running smarter and safer operations.

All data going through the Ulstein Blue Box is stored in high-quality data centres and is easily available for shipping companies.

The Ulstein Blue Box is a useful tool for any large offshore vessel. Even small reductions in fuel consumption and human errors will lead to large savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Ulstein Group is a large group of shipbuilding, ship design and supporting companies. It is one of Norway’s largest shipbuilders and was originally founded in 1917.