Wärtsilä and Royal Caribbean Group celebrate 15 years of collaboration on digital transformation
A pilot digitisation project with technology group, Wärtsilä, that began 15 years ago, is enabling one of the world’s leading cruise companies, Royal Caribbean Group, to reduce its emissions by half a percent of its total shipboard energy consumption every year.
The cruise industry is leading in the drive to decarbonise shipping, fuelled by its commitment to sustainable operations, as well as climate-conscious passengers and global and local emissions regulations. Wärtsilä has been supporting Royal Caribbean Group with their goals for decarbonisation for many decades now – from collaborating on cruise vessel machinery to engines and services and much more. One important focus has been on the digitalisation of their operations.
Anshul Tuteja, Associate VP, Global Fleet Optimization for Royal Caribbean Group shares: “The data and digital solutions we have developed with Wärtsilä have allowed us to gain the real-time insight needed for effective and timely decision-making across our ships. Data is everything and now everything is data, we look forward to further enhance the voyage optimisation end-to-end and continue this strong partnership for another 15 years, and beyond.”
In 2008, Royal Caribbean Cruise started to explore digital solutions which would help the company to optimise operations onboard its ships. One such solution was the introduction of a pioneering tool, known as Dynamic Trimming Assistant (DTA). Developed by Eniram, a Finnish start-up company which was later acquired by Wärtsilä, the tool enables Royal Caribbean Group to optimise dynamic trim during sailing, thereby minimising water resistance, decreasing fuel consumption and reducing emissions. Since its conception, the DTA tool has expanded to 44 ships in Royal Caribbean Group’s fleet, with the implementation of additional technologies following in subsequent years. For example, in 2012, the Optimum Speed Assistant (OSA) solution was introduced to optimise speed in real-time, based on external factors such as weather. Then in 2016, a Mobile Operations Solution was introduced to support situational awareness, using real-time data coupled with predictive analytics.
From 2017 until the present day, Royal Caribbean Group and Wärtsilä have been in close collaboration on the development of an improved voyage performance tool, Total Energy Management (TEM), also more widely referred to as Voyage Benchmarking. Voyage Benchmarking is used to optimise navigation, helping to minimise costs by maximising operational efficiency.
In general, thousands of data points, collected by multiple sensors across ships within Royal Caribbean’s fleet, allow for transparency and accountability both on ship and on shore. For example, access to both current and historical data means that captains conferring with shore side operations are better equipped to make decisions about the ship in real-time.
“It has been an honour to collaborate with Royal Caribbean Group for this length of time. Together, we have worked to make cruise operations more efficient, safer, and with minimised environmental impact. This work will continue as we share a strong commitment to optimising efficiencies, and making fully decarbonised maritime operations a reality,” said Hannu Mäntymaa, Vice President for Voyage Services, Wärtsilä Marine.
Royal Caribbean Group continuously seeks to accelerate innovation and optimise its performance through the adoption of the latest technologies. Wärtsilä actively supports them in this, for example, by developing digital tools that enable seamless ship–shore communications and more efficient voyage planning tools. Innovative solutions are planned for upcoming newbuilds, including the recently delivered ’Icon of the Seas’.
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