You know it when you see it – how innovation is back on the agenda

Lloyd’s List’s Liz McCarthy was one of the few journalists to give the CMA session on best operational and financial practices a fair crack of the whip. Despite the fact that the organisers had changed the session title, the running order, and the idea behind it, there was still plenty to absorb.

If owners are content to moan about high bunker prices, then presumably the evidence that BP Shipping had saved $1.5m on bunkers by combining satellite communications with Virtual Arrival principles will fall on deaf ears.

There are other areas, too where owners and managers need to work smarter, not least in increasing the volume of ship to shore data while also managing the paperwork burden. More technology onboard ship comes with risks too, but if properly managed by an owner who takes responsibility for ship crew and cargo, then there is no reason these bugs cannot be ironed out of the system.

Liz quotes Inmarsat Maritime president Frank Coles as saying that:

“it was possible to save as much as $100,000 a year per ship by using efficient communication, and with unlimited internet access available for $100 per day or $3,000 per month, the cost of rolling out wifi on ships was easily recuperated.

His company’s clients had reported significant savings across their businesses; $32,000 per year crew-related cost savings, information technology efficiency saving $20,000 per year and route optimisation saving $30,000.

At a time when owners are looking for viable options to shave money off their total fuel consumption — as prices continue to hover at record levels in the $700 per tonne range — numbers like this start to look extremely attractive.”

But there are reasons for caution too. As Liz’s article continued:

“The internet was a cause for concern regarding navigational safety, panellists at the conference believed, with at least one example already of a collision created after a crew member on the bridge was browsing the web rather than looking where the vessel was heading, Mr Coles said.

He added that some of Inmarsat’s shipowning clients stated specifically that they did not want wireless internet connection on the bridge, to ensure due diligence while performing navigational duties.

Just as trucking companies would not want drivers text messaging while on the road or airlines allow pilots to surf the net while flying a plane, area restrictions could support internet use in shipping.

Other services being looked into are whether the internet can be switched off when the ship approaches coastal areas, such as 30 miles offshore, to ensure all crew are alert and not distracted by phones or computers.”