Vessel And Voyage Optimisation Solution Trial

The commercial off-the-shelf version of VVOS includes proprietary weather and wave forecasts of up to fifteen days, updated twice daily. High-resolution (1/32-degree) surface ocean currents, updated daily, are also provided and utilised in VVOS's route optimisation computations.

A key feature of Jeppesen VVOS is its ability to calculate an "optimal passage solution" against which actual passages can be objectively compared for relative efficiency. This patent-pending benchmarking methodology is based on the principle that for a given passage with specific ship loading conditions and departure and arrival times, there is a theoretical optimal passage that minimises fuel consumption while meeting all safety requirements and other user-specified constraints. VVOS calculates this optimal route and speed profile, first, by creating a grid of all possible solutions, and then searching for the most efficient solution using Jeppesen's proprietary Dynamic Programming algorithm.

Using this benchmarking methodology, the relative benefits of different products can be meaningfully compared. For example, the relative efficiency of typical "weather routing" products, in which a user's route is planned using a set of generic speed reduction curves to dead-reckon the ship's position to avoid storms, can be compared to more advanced route-speed management technologies such as VVOS Route.

Dr. Phil Ballou, Jeppesen's head of marine engineering, adds, "The benefits of VVOS in terms of improved operating efficiency should not be measured only in reduced annual fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and improved on-time arrival. Users will also benefit by improved operating safety of crew, cargo, and ship. When combined with Jeppesen's Fleet Manager software to track and optimise fleet deployment efficiency, the potential overall savings are substantial."