Vale, charterer of one of the world’s largest fleet of ore carriers, has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Digital to install Vessel Insight on four Valemax vessels long-term chartered and owned by Asyad Shipping, having previously implemented the technology on its Guaibamax Bulk Carriers in 2020.
Vale’s Valemax and Guaibamax freighter classes are among the largest and most efficient ore carriers in the world. The Vessel Insight system will be used to provide access to fleet overview data, vessel-specific dashboards and analysis tools using its vessel-to-cloud data infrastructure.
Vale is expected to use the information gathered to check and confirm fuel and emissions savings as part of its Ecoshipping programme. The first two Guaibamax vessels covered by Vessel Insight featured wind-assist rotor sails and air lubrication technology, which uses a layer of air bubbles under the hull to increase hydrodynamic efficiency. The four Valemax vessels are now testing the same fuel efficiency technology.
“Vale transports iron ore in the most efficient vessels in the world, but we believe there are still further energy efficient gains to be captured to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,” said Rodrigo Bermelho, Shipping Technical Manager at Vale.
“Data analytics is key to measure the performance of the new technologies and make evidence-based strategic decisions. This pioneering project shows our commitment to supporting the shipping industry in fulfilling the ambitions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).”
