Hamburg-based third-party ship manager Zeaborn Ship Management (ZSM) has chosen Wärtsilä Voyage’s Fleet Operations Solution (FOS) as the digital navigation platform for its managed tanker fleet. Each of its 12 vessels will deploy the system, enabling ZSM to benchmark voyage execution, support the safety of the fleet and reduce crew workload.
FOS integrates Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) with voyage planning functions as well as enabling a ship-to-shore link from the system. The solution enables users to harness data from other ship systems and external sources and deploy advanced analytics and machine learning to deliver insights. For ZSM, supporting navigational safety was one of the priorities given its importance to tanker owners and charterers.
“Digital innovation is a key element for ZSM to ensure that our managed vessels are executing voyages as safely and as efficiently as possible. Wärtsilä’s solution gives us that increased transparency, connecting key stakeholders onboard and ashore in real-time, as well as making navigation and planning easier for the crew,” said Matthias Ritters, Managing Director, Zeaborn Ship Management Tankers.
The order with Wärtsilä Voyage was placed in December 2020. Wärtsilä said its delivery includes the FOS navigation package, spanning voyage planning and execution modules, ECDIS operational leases and the Wärtsilä BridgeMate tablet application that enables back-up charts, navigation decision support and the berthing assistance on wings to be accessed from anywhere on the vessel.
Simplified voyage planning and accurately monitored voyage execution—allowing for benchmarking, assessment and continuous improvement—are fundamental to tanker owners and charterers given the high potential cost of safety concerns, Wärtsilä said, noting one immediate benefit of FOS is a reduction in the amount of time needed to plan routes, leaving crew with more time to focus on other work critical to securing safe passage. Real-time monitoring, advanced weather routing and instant updates of charts are among the further advantages of the connected solution.
