Swedish shipping company Stena Line is expanding the reach of artificial intelligence (AI) as a fuel-efficiency and cost-saving tool within the transport group's shipping fleet. Initial pilot tests have produced promising results, indicating that AI/digital technologies have the potential to revolutionise how ships operate. AI-supported automation trials have delivered cost savings and ship operational efficiencies. Stena plans to expand the use of AI to cut fuel costs on its vessels, and digitisation to enhance productivity across the group. There is an appetite for this in the Nordic region.

Stena Lines is expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict the most fuel-efficient way to operate a vessel after a successful pilot study reduced fuel consumption by two to three percent. The ferry company has set a target to lower the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 2.5 percent annually. Fuel is one of the company's largest costs - around 20 percent of total costs. In 2018, Stena Line started a pilot project onboard the Stena Scandinavica on the Gothenburg – Kiel route using AI technology to predict the most fuel-efficient way to operate a vessel. The software, named Stena Fuel Pilot, will be installed on five more Stena Line vessels during the autumn.

Stena Line is running a pilot study of artificial intelligence (AI) technology on board one of its ferries. With technology company Hitachi, an AI-model is being developed that will help predict the most fuel-efficient way to operate a particular vessel on a specific route. If successful it will make an important contribution to Stena Line's sustainability target to reduce fuel consumption by 2.5 percent annually. The model simulates many different scenarios before suggesting the most optimal route and performance setup. With the help of AI, it considers a number of variables, such as currents, weather conditions, shallow water and speed through water, in various combinations which would be impossible to do manually.

Working with technology company Hitachi, Stena Line are developing an artifical intelligence system that will help predict the most fuel-efficient way to operate a ferry on a specific route. The AI will support the captain and officers on board, and if successful will make an important contribution to Stena Line's sustainability target to reduce fuel consumption by 2.5 % each year. "The model simulates many different scenarios before suggesting the most optimal route and performance setup. With the help of AI we are able to consider a number of variables, such as currents, weather conditions, shallow water and speed through water, in various combinations which would be impossible to do manually" The pilot study is taking place on Stena Scandinavica, under the supervision of Senior Master Jan Sjöström who has been working with fuel optimisation at Stena Line for the last 40 years. "Since we are helping the AI to evolve, we might be assisting the AI more than we are at the moment, but it is a very exciting and rewarding process. We've been making adjustments to the model after each trip for about four weeks and it is amazing to see how quickly it is learning" The ultimate goal is to create a precise model that will support the captain when planning each trip.