NYK's Ship Information Management System Recognized with Special Award

August 25, 2015
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha
Monohakobi Technology Institute

Left: Koichi Akamine, NYK senior managing corporate officer

The Ship Information Management System (SIMS) jointly developed by NYK and the Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI; head office: Tokyo; president: Makoto Igarashi) has been recognized with a special award from the Japan Institute of Navigation. An awards ceremony was held on July 27, 2015, and attended by Koichi Akamine, NYK senior managing corporate officer; Makoto Igarashi, president of MTI; and Hideyuki Ando, a senior general manager at MTI.

The Japan Institute of Navigation is a public incorporated association for the purpose of contributing to the academic advance of navigation. This special award is bestowed for achievements in practical fields related to navigation, and this year marks the 13^th time the annual award has been presented.

Against the backdrop of fluctuating fuel oil prices and stricter enforcement of greenhouse gas emission regulations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the NYK Group has been researching energy-saving operations. In 2008, NYK and MTI started to develop SIMS with the aim of precisely understanding the fuel consumption and propulsion performance conditions of oceangoing vessels. The development of SIMS has been undertaken as a joint study program between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) under the ministry's “Project of Assisting Next Generation Technical Development related to Marine Environment."

Left: Makoto Igarashi, president of MTI

By employing SIMS on vessels, detailed data can be shared timely between onboard crew and land-based operation staff. Such data includes precise hourly updates on conditions of operation and fuel consumption. Thus, more efficient vessel operation and allocation can be realized based on optimal evaluation of data, including performance status such as vessel speed and fuel consumption, as well as weather conditions.

The NYK Group has recently installed SIMS on more than 130 vessels, including containerships, bulkers, car carriers, tankers, and LNG carriers. In addition, a study has been undertaken to leverage big data obtained from this system to wider applications. The NYK Group will make further efforts to improve the technological aspects of the system, upgrade data analysis skills, and employ SIMS as operational infrastructure that can meet individual needs of various types of vessels. As a result, NYK’s data applications will be expanded toward gaining advantages in such areas as preventive maintenance and reducing repair costs and time-loss due to engine troubles, while at the same time achieving safer and more secure transportation.

In accordance with its “More Than Shipping 2018” medium-term management plan, the NYK Group will promote further utilization of big data in operations and strive to differentiate itself from other companies by raising its competitiveness.