[By: ClassNK]
Leading Classification Society ClassNK has certified NAPA Fleet Intelligence and NAPA Performance Monitoring and Optimization, developed by NAPA, as its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions, after the solutions demonstrated examination support for at saving fuel and optimizing voyages for the fleet of Japanese shipowner Nissen Kaiun. Following the certification, the society has upgraded notations for all the Nissen Kaiun vessels in its fleet using the solutions, which has marked the first time in the ClassNK register.
To promote the spread and development of innovative technologies, the society launched Innovation Endorsement as a swift certification service in cooperation with technological front runners to establish appropriate evaluation criteria. Among the certification categories, "Products & Solutions" covers digital equipment and software technology installed for use on vessels.
NAPA Fleet Intelligence is a cloud-based solution that combines actual online data on board and weather data with NAPA’s 3D model database to accurately assess and optimize performance, to advise any vessel, from a browser. NAPA Performance Monitoring and Optimization applies the same big data expertise to analyze vessel performance and optimize routing, but also factors in data from shipboard hardware on vessel operations for a more accurate picture of performance. Nissen Kaiun has been using NAPA’s solutions and has provided feedback and ideas for further improvement.
ClassNK has conducted a careful examination on NAPA Fleet Intelligence and NAPA Performance Monitoring and Optimization, resulting in the Innovation Endorsement certification. Following the certification, ClassNK received the application from the shipowner, and has added its Digital Smart Ship notations (DSS(EE2) to class certificates of all the ships using the solutions for the first time in the ClassNK register, which indicate the highest level of ship performance evaluation in its current framework.
Pekka Pakkanen, Executive Vice President, Shipping Solutions at NAPA commented: “We are delighted that our voyage optimization solution has been fairly evaluated at such a high level. At a time when saving fuel is a strategic priority for fleets around the world, owners and operators need to have confidence in the tools they use to plan and assess their voyages. We’re incredibly pleased that the users and crew members have found our solutions effective, and the approval from ClassNK is a significant milestone that opens the door to further deployment on fleets worldwide.”
The person in charge of Nissen Kaiun said: “Having utilized NAPA’s optimization tools for several years, we have confirmed their effectiveness to achieve fuel savings and on-time operations of our fleet, which is a strategic priority as the industry progresses towards sustainability. We are glad that ClassNK has made the third-party endorsement on its functions and issued the highest ship performance evaluation, Digital Smart Ship (DSS(EE2)) to our ships equipped with NAPA. We would like to make an effort together to further develop the solution, to achieve optimal operations so that we can contribute to even greater reductions in CO2 emissions.”
Mr. Masaki Matsunaga, Corporate Officer, Director of Plan Approval and Technical Solution Division at ClassNK, said: “The cardinal concept of Innovation Endorsement is to carry out swift certification while developing necessary criteria in partnering with technological front runners. The certification of NAPA’s solutions and subsequent upgrades of notations installing the solutions could be the ideal model to certify innovations and their effectiveness driven by cutting-edge technologies.”
