Energy Efficiency of Ships - BIMCO submission to IMO

Published: 07 October 2024

BIMCO submitted a paper about "Sail Fast, Then Wait" to the International Maritime Organization's Marine Environment Protection Committee.

The Sail Fast, Then Wait (SFTW) practice involves ships rushing to their destination, only to wait at anchor for berth availability, causing unnecessary fuel use and emissions.

To tackle this issue, the Blue Visby Solution (BVS) has been proposed.

As outlined in a paper submitted by BIMCO to the MEPC (MEPC 82/INF.32): "The Blue Visby Solution (BVS) helps ships avoid unnecessary anchorage time by adjusting sailing speeds to align with berth availability, thereby cutting fuel usage and emissions." BVS uses real-time data and sophisticated algorithms to optimise ship speeds and organise staggered arrivals at ports, addressing SFTW inefficiencies.

BVS functions as a digital platform that employs advanced algorithms and real-time data to coordinate the arrival of numerous ships at a single port, allowing each ship to adjust its sailing speed to prevent early arrival and subsequent waiting at anchor. A cost-saving mechanism shares the reduced emissions benefits and fuel savings among ship operators, charterers, and port authorities.

Download the paper below.

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