Maersk Deploys Weathernews Services
Weathernews Inc., a privately owned weather company, will provide weather routing services, port forecasts and other weather driven risk communication services to Maersk Line and Maersk Tankers, for safety and bunker saving purposes.
Operating from five global operations centers, Weathernews Inc. will provide continuous monitoring and communication year-round twenty-four hours a day for Maersk vessels with its Optimum Ship Routing service.
Niels Bruus, Head of Fleet Performance, Maersk Line, said, "Maersk Line has undertaken several strategic initiatives to enable world class bunker efficiency for our fleet and reduce carbon footprint. We want the frontline to take ownership to optimize bunker usage by providing them with the right tools and systems. Weather plays a critical role both from a safety as well as a performance perspective. Looking ahead, partnering with Weathernews Inc. will provide our vessels with the support and expertise of a global weather company and help us achieve a safe and efficient operation of our network."
"At Maersk tankers, our aim has always been to run a profitable oil transport business along with reducing the impact on environment," said Bjarne Foldager, Global Head of Operations, Maersk Tankers. "This is achieved by employing energy efficient ships operated with green philosophy which means that ship's routing and fleet's fuel usage is closely monitored, and steps are taken to reduce fuel consumption thus reduction in CO2 emissions. A long term collaboration with weather routing service Weathernews is yet another step in direction of improving our green credentials. Expertise from Weathernews will assist us in ensuring that our vessels use the minimum possible fuel on any given route between ports by reducing the impact of weather delays at sea and ports along with improving safety of vessels, crew onboard and cargo our ships carry around the world."
Last June, Weathernews established a new Voyage Planning Service Center in Copenhagen in order to cater to the needs of the European shipping industry. Getting this chance to start working with Maersk Group, Weathernews, Inc. will be in close communication and provide continuous support for Maersk Group’s entire fleet operations twenty-four hours a day, 365-days a year from Weathernews’s global network of operations centers in around the world.