“K” Line Group are focusing on maintaining and improving vessel safety operations and environmental preservation as we regard these as our first principle in running our business sustainably, fulfilling our social responsibility.
As part of confirming this principle, “K” Line and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd Group have developed “K-IMS”*1 ; Integrated vessel operation and performance management system.
“K-IMS” is based on two systems which already exist in our fleet ; “SPAS”(Ship Performance Analyzing System) which is the electrical AB log and vessel performance analyzed, and “EP-Monitor”(Engine Plant Monitor) which is a remote monitoring system for the vessel engine plant condition. However, we have developed a new system by integrating “EP-Monitor” which is able to collect and observe all kinds of operation data including navigation data and “NAVI” (Optimum Navigation System) which we have newly adopted. Integrating these individual systems enables us to utilize the real-time operation data from vessels, so-called Big data, into a mutual system and also enables us to support vessel operation and manage vessel performance in a simple way by taking real-time vessel operating conditions, optimum safety route selection, the latest vessel performance and so on, through the new data browsing system that we have developed.
“K-IMS” and the Big data are managed in the cloud system via a shore server and they have various functions such as observing the operating condition of vessels, analyzing the performance of vessels and deciding the safest and recommending the lowest course cost based on the analysis results and weather information. “K-IMS” can be shared among operation teams, ship management companies and vessels. Therefore, it will contribute not only to safety navigation and saving fuel costs but also dramatically improving efficient vessel operations and management.
Furthermore, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd and “K” Line Ship Management Co., Ltd., part of the “K” Line group, recently applied for the project “to support R&D of advanced technology for safe vessels” offered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Our development project “Enhancing analysis accuracy by automatic correction function with hull property model and applying it to safety operation” was adopted because it merits the development of “advanced safe vessels” by IoT (Internet of Things) for vessels’ equipment with marine broadband and making use of Big data. With the success of this project the accuracy of the Optimum Navigation System in the “K-IMS” is much improved and it is expected that further improvement of ship safety and economic operations will be achieved in appropriate navigation route selection.
“K” Line will continue to work on environmental preservation and economic operation, continuing to build a reliable safety operation organization by improving the accuracy of the optimum navigation system and further developing and utilizing of bottom fouling analysis system, trim optimization system, engine diagnose system on “K-IMS”.
*1 K-IMS : Kawasaki – Integrated Maritime Solutions