Neste increases sustainability with NAPA Voyage Optimization
Sustainable fuel supplier Neste Corporation achieves a significant increase in fuel efficiency and subsequent reduction in emissions using NAPA Voyage Optimization software
Neste Corporation
Neste is an advanced refiner of high-quality, sustainable oil products from renewable sources and the world’s largest renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel producer. It aims to help its customers reduce greenhouse gas emissions with its renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. As a part of this, Neste has committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, which means it is continuously seeking to increase sustainability across all areas of its operations.
Neste operates a fleet of 20 long-term time-chartered vessels in its Logistics division and runs over 1000 spot voyages a year, managing more than 30 million tons of cargo annually. Neste has production facilities in Porvoo (Finland), Rotterdam, and Singapore and is working with an increasing number of terminals around the world.
Digital tools help optimize shipping operations
One way Neste aims to reduce its carbon output is by implementing digital tools to improve the performance of its vessels and its vessel logistics, optimizing the chartering, scheduling, and monitoring of vessels. This is a significant opportunity area when it comes to saving emissions – and costs.
With many of its time-chartered vessels spending about 40% of their time in ports for loading or discharging, one of the company’s major issues is substantial waiting times in ports for the berth availability. Neste was consequently keen to find a solution to optimize all aspects of its shipping operations relating specifically to Justi-In-Time arrival (JIT), speed optimization, and voyage routes. This allows vessels to travel at more consistent, lower speeds throughout their journey, which drastically cuts fuel use. It is estimated that globally, the phenomenon of ‘Rush to Wait’ – vessels rushing across the ocean only to wait in port – is responsible for $18bn of unnecessary fuel consumption per year.
With a proven track record of reducing carbon emissions and saving costs by analyzing real-time data, such as weather data and alternative routes, NAPA Voyage Optimization was selected by Neste as the most fitting weather routing software on the market.
Significant results in experiments
Through trialing software, in which automated messaging is supplied to vessels as soon as their jetty availability is updated in port, Neste could optimize JIT arrival. The first quantifiable impact of this was reflected in the MT Donia’s voyage, from ARA to Porvoo, where speed adjustment at the beginning of the voyage resulted in saving 30 tonnes of fuel.
Likewise, trialing NAPA Voyage Optimization to utilize data such as weather forecasts and sea currents on longer voyages was found to make significant reductions in fuel consumption, cut carbon emissions, and provide cost savings.
As verified by Risto-Juhani Kariranta, Shipping Performance Manager, Neste Corporation:
“Sustainability is a priority for Neste. We are active in looking into digital solutions to help us get cost savings and minimize the environmental burden of our shipping operations. Using NAPA Voyage Optimization for weather routing on ocean-crossing voyages, we gained very tangible savings mostly due to utilizing the strong favorable currents. Actual savings on a leg from Houston to South Africa were over 37 tons of fuel oil, equalling 26 000 USD and 117 tons of CO2.”
For more information on Neste’s shipping optimization projects and applying NAPA software, check out these Digital Ship’s webinars:
- Making Maritime Digital Projects Work, September 3rd, 2020
- Taking vessel performance monitoring projects further, Sept 17th, 2020
