Wärtsilä Rolls-out Digitalised Operim
Finnish technology group Wärtsilä is launching a new, digital version of its Operim (Operational Performance Improvement & Monitoring) offering as a key feature of Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine vision.
By digitally augmenting physical products through the addition of data collection capabilities and cloud based analytics, Operim enables improvements in operational performance through continuous monitoring and reporting of the key performance indicators and virtual instrumentation.
The collected data is delivered to the system’s user in real-time, thereby allowing appropriate and timely manual or autonomous decision-making in a predictive or adaptive manner.
Since a vessel is only as efficient, and therefore profitable, as the way it is operated, optimising operational efficiency based on up to date, real-time data, is critical to remaining competitive. Monitoring and analysis of the data produced delivers the perfect integration of human experience and modern technology. Operim enables accurate adjustments to be made to the plant or assets being monitored, according to sea and weather conditions and other external factors. Such operating decisions are otherwise likely to be made based on assumptions, which could compromise performance and revenues.
Because the unique insights enabled by Operim are specific to the asset in question, the applications are created in close cooperation with product experts. For example, the application with an LPG gas cargo handling system considers parameters such as the reliquification time and GPS locations, which can be correlated with sea water temperatures to assess the handling system’s efficiency.
Such insight may also be compared with other fleet vessels with best practices being shared accordingly. For other assets, such as ballast water systems, the tracking and reporting of treatment operations is fully digitalised and handled by Operim.
“Wärtsilä is dedicated to enhancing the lifecycle performance of its products and systems with fully integrated smart solutions. We see this as a vital step in creating the high levels of efficiency needed for our customers to remain competitive in an industry that is undergoing rapid change. Operim supports and enables a Smart Marine Ecosystem, which utilises digital technologies and high levels of connectivity, to deliver the new age solutions that shipping needs in the current era,” says Nicholas Martin, Director, Digital Offering, Processing Solutions, Wärtsilä Marine.
By providing access to Wärtsilä’s analytic tools and insights developed by the product designers, owners and operators can elevate operational performance to higher levels. The benefits include not only lower operating costs (OPEX), but also the empowerment of a more competent and efficient crew.
Operim is currently available for Wärtsilä’s gas portfolio, including LNG and LPG Carriers, and will soon be rolled out for Biogas and to water and waste treatment solutions. The long-term vision is for all Wärtsilä assets to be delivered digitally augmented and integrated with Operim.