The World Maritime University is actively contributing to safer shipping in greener oceans. One of the activities of WMU's Maritime Risk and Systems Safety (MaRiSa) Research Group is an ambitious international collaborative project on the development of a simulation-based training module to promote green energy-efficient ship operation (ProGreenShipOperation I and II). It is one of IAMU's 2011-2013 capacity-building projects, supported by the Nippon Foundation, and is led and coordinated by WMU.
Within the first project period from July 2011 to January 2012, extensive common research work has been performed by the partners. The team consists of young research fellows and experienced professors sharing their expertise to develop a generic concept for the integrated use of tools for planning and executing energy-efficient and environmetally friendly ship manoeuvres in coastal areas, port approaches and harbour basins. In their studies, the team studied and demostrated the potential of new enhanced information and simulation technologies for time and fuel savings when operating ships close to port areas. Already in the first period, valuable results have been achieved, including the development of a generic conceptual framework for the development of simulation exercises. This also forms direct input to the development of an IMO Model course on energy-efficient ship operation.
For the second phase of the project (May 2012 - May 2013), the main challenge is to implement and apply the methods and procedures developed into a dedicated simulation-based training module.