Energy and marine consultancy ABL has entered into a knowledge transfer partnership with the University of Strathclyde and the University of Plymouth to develop a decision-making software to facilitate informed decarbonisation strategies for the maritime industry, including vessels and ports, in the context of evolving policy and technological uncertainties.
The software will offer vital support to decision-makers responsible for creating decarbonisation roadmaps, pathways, or making decarbonisation investments. This includes shipowners, charterers, cargo owners, ship and port managers, as well as policymakers and advisors. Financial institutions and insurers will also benefit from the software, as it helps them navigate the complexities of decarbonisation policies and related decisions.
The software will focus on advanced modelling and simulation techniques considering the uncertainties in decarbonisation investments. Such uncertainties include factors such as emerging technologies, supply chain development, Green House Gas (GHG) emissions regulations and tax, energy and fuel prices.
"Such a tool does not exist in the wider maritime industry today. Maritime stakeholders therefore risk taking suboptimal decarbonisation decisions where they utilise information that can only look a year or two ahead as basis for investments that have a 20-30 year horizon. We will apply our expertise within maritime operations, vessels and ports design, energy and emission modelling to develop the new software. This will enable us to provide advanced predictive analysis and simulations, assisting our clients to navigate the complexities and uncertain conditions of their decarbonisation strategy," says Stefano Scarpa, Associate Director - Maritime Decarbonisation & Global Emissions Consulting Lead at ABL.
The project is co-founded by Innovate UK and will have a duration of 24 months. It will engage software engineering capabilities that will be co-located with ABL's maritime decarbonisation team in London, UK, and draw upon expertise from academics from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Plymouth.
ABL has supported maritime decarbonisation projects with solutions for renewable energy production, energy storage and cold-ironing, alternative fuels and electrification, climate change adaptation, emission audit, assessment and abatement (AAA) consulting and shipboard carbon capture and storage.
ABL is part of Oslo-listed consultancy group ABL Group ASA.
Source: ABL Group ASA