Brittany Ferries, Adrena and Bureau Veritas cut fuel use 6%

Brittany Ferries, Adrena, and Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore collaborated on a digital twin routing system that delivered up to 6% fuel savings. The results were validated by thousands of commercial trips and close to two years of onboard tracking on the E-Flexer-class ship Galicia. Following the test results, the system was deployed across nine vessels in Brittany Ferries’ fleet.

Through the integration of operational data, engineering knowledge and onboard experience, these digital twins boost the precision of routing suggestions and offer advice on machinery operation. The AdrenaShip initiative is part of Brittany Ferries’ wider decarbonisation programme.

Technology and validation

The system was tested during thousands of commercial voyages across Brittany Ferries’ regular services between France, the United Kingdom, Guernsey, Ireland, and Spain. These routes involve mainly short crossings with tight operating schedules. Results were measured during actual commercial crossings with strict arrival-time requirements.

Partners compared real crossings with and without AdrenaShip routing supported by digital twins. Monitoring of the Galicia confirmed an average saving of around 6% in energy consumption when the system is used to its full potential. The accuracy was measured on real crossings by an independent organisation over nearly two years of study.

Partnership and development

Brittany Ferries and Adrena first launched the AdrenaShip system in 2016. It was initially designed to optimise vessel routes, improve fuel efficiency, and enhance operational safety. Initial fuel savings from the AdrenaShip system were around 4%.

The project expanded in 2022 when Bureau Veritas Solutions joined to develop digital twins tailored to individual vessels. BV Solutions M&O worked with Brittany Ferries' engineering teams and crews to build these models. Digital twins enabled AdrenaShip to provide more detailed routing proposals and recommend engine configurations. The addition of digital twins contributed a further two percentage points of fuel savings.

Statements and broader context

Michel Rodet, Chairman and Founder of Adrena, said the results confirm a routing and consumption prediction model with 97% reliability. The results achieved on the Galicia confirm what we have been developing for close to 15 years: a routing and consumption prediction model with 97% reliability, he stated. This precision was established in real-world settings, gauged on actual voyages.

Improvements were achieved while maintaining schedules, operational reliability, and service quality. Brice Robinson, Head of Studies and Projects at Brittany Ferries, said, “This initiative perfectly illustrates our commitment to developing tailor-made digital solutions that are adapted to the specific characteristics of our fleet and our operations.” He credited the achievement to a joint endeavor with crews that has fostered ongoing refinement.

Brittany Ferries also uses BV Solutions M&O's OptiCARBON decision-support platform for day-to-day operational choices and investment decisions on retrofits and fleet renewal. The system merges Brittany Ferries' operational know-how, Adrena's route optimization strengths, and BV Solutions' proficiency in vessel performance and digital twins. Partners expect further gains as more on-board data is added and models improve.