Bremen launches Eco-Box: ferry trips are becoming more environmentally friendly!

Bremen launches Eco-Box: ferry trips are becoming more environmentally friendly!

Nowadays, the issue of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the maritime world. A particularly exciting project in Bremen puts this idea into practice. The model project Eco Crossing has set itself the goal of making ferry journeys both more environmentally friendly and more economical. Several partners, including the Jade University and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), are working together with the ferry company FBS Bremen.

The central component of the project is theEco box, an innovative assistance system that provides skippers with real-time route suggestions. This system combines a navigation system, an environmental sensor system and an AI-based model to reduce the ferries' fuel consumption. The potential of this system is already evident in test operations on the Weser ferry “Farge”, as model calculations indicate that annual diesel consumption of 300,000 liters could be reduced by up to 20%.

Ecological benefits and economic savings

This reduction could not only save 30,000 euros in operating costs, but also an impressive 159 tons of CO2 per year. The model shows that with an optimal choice of route between Farge and Berne, fuel savings of more than 20% can be achieved. There is a lot of potential for saving fuel and emissions, especially in waters that are sensitive to currents and tides, such as those found in northern Germany.

The Studies by the DFKI confirm this potential and emphasize that in shipping, especially ferry connections, the possibilities for reducing emissions through optimized driving have not yet been exploited. In contrast to international merchant shipping, where weather routing is already used, ferry shipping lacks a corresponding system. The Eco Box system could serve as a future-oriented approach here.

The future of shipping

Another important element in this context is the rapidly growing challenge of global shipping. The industry emits around one billion tonnes of CO2 every year, which corresponds to around 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions KSB reports. Shipping therefore has a significant impact on the environment, but at the same time it also offers great potential to become more environmentally friendly.

The Eco-Crossing project is not only positioning itself locally, but also sees its results as multipliable for well over 300 ferry companies in Europe. The Eco-Box does not require any complex modifications to existing ferry fleets, which should particularly appeal to small operators. The technology enables faster payback when switching to more climate-friendly propulsion and could therefore be seen as an important step towards greener shipping.

The development continues and shows that the dream of “green shipping” does not just remain a utopia, but could become reality through innovative approaches such as the Eco-Box. The future of shipping looks promising, and Bremen is playing a pioneering role.