Dry bulk shipowner Berge Bulk, one of the world’s leading independent dry bulk owners, has adopted the Wayfinder platform from San Francisco-based maritime technology company Sofar Ocean across its fleet of owned vessels, including new vessels equipped with wind propulsion technology.
Berge Bulk uses Wayfinder’s dynamic voyage optimisation to save fuel, time, and emissions, supporting the carrier’s ‘Maritime Marshall Plan’ decarbonisation strategy. Wayfinder leverages accurate marine weather forecasts — powered by Sofar’s global network of ocean sensors — and data-driven vessel performance models that are continuously calibrated using weather and vessel data.
James Marshall, Berge Bulk founder and CEO said: “Using innovative technology to boost vessel efficiency is key to our ‘Maritime Marshall Plan’ for decarbonisation. Sofar’s Wayfinder helps us understand fleet performance and get the most from sustainable innovations as we aim for a zero-emissions fleet.”
Tim Janssen, co-founder and CEO, Sofar Ocean added: “By reducing uncertainty in the weather predictions, Wayfinder delivers significant efficiency gains immediately and does so voyage after voyage, saving an average of 4-6% on fuel and emissions. We are excited about the role of Wayfinder in supporting new technologies to drive the energy transition, and look forward to partnering with Berge Bulk on its journey to decarbonisation.”
Berge Bulk’s adoption of Wayfinder is the latest in a series of decarbonisation initiatives aimed at achieving zero scope 1 emissions fleetwide by 2050. In the past year, Berge Bulk has equipped two ships — Newcastlemax vessel Berge Olympus and Valemax carrier Berge Neblina — with wind propulsion technology. Wayfinder is used on both sail-assisted vessels to maximise the benefits of the sails on efficiency. As Berge Bulk outfits more vessels with wind propulsion and invests in additional decarbonisation initiatives like alternative fuels, it will utilise Wayfinder to help measure and optimise the performance of each new technology.
Wayfinder provides dynamic route and engine speed guidance that accounts for variations in weather, market, and vessel performance. Wayfinder uses Sofar’s weather forecasts, claimed to be superior to other systems, powered by its proprietary global ocean sensor network. These data-driven weather models greatly reduce forecast uncertainty and increase vessel performance model accuracy, ensuring Wayfinder keeps vessels on the most efficient path to port.
Janssen said: “Better weather data and forecasts are a cornerstone to unlock superior vessel performance models and voyage optimisation. Our partnership with Berge Bulk is built on this philosophy and we are committed to help prepare its fleet for a present and future defined by decarbonisation. We know that there is no silver bullet for getting to net zero, but are confident that voyage optimisation is a stepping stone technology to support the efficient rollout of new, green technologies.”
Image: Berge Olympus is one of the first Berge Bulk vessels to use Wayfinder (source: Berge Bulk)
