On March 12, the Korean Register (KR) awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) to G-Marine Service for its newly developed "Machine Learning-Based Fuel Savings Calculation Method.”

The shipping industry has recently adopted a number of energy-saving devices and voyage optimization technologies in an effort to save fuel costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, since a vessel’s fuel consumption varies significantly with operational conditions, such as wind, waves, and cargo load, objectively evaluating the actual effectiveness of these technologies has remained a challenge.

The technology developed by G-Marine Service is a methodology that utilizes ship operation data to predict fuel consumption under specific conditions through machine learning. It then compares these predictions with actual fuel usage to quantitatively calculate fuel savings.

Notably, the machine learning model analyzes the impact of environmental factors to correct for operational variances, including wind speed, sea state, draft, and deadweight, enabling a more accurate assessment of fuel-efficiency improvements.

This AIP will be a milestone for KR, as it verifies the technical validity of a data-driven approach for objectively evaluating ship fuel efficiency. It is anticipated to provide shipowners with a more reliable means to confirm the effectiveness of various energy-saving technologies and voyage-optimization strategies.

Kwon Chi-o, CEO of G-Marine Service, said, “Securing this AIP is a meaningful achievement that officially recognizes the reliability of our fuel savings calculation system. We expect this to serve as a foundation for shipowners to systematically verify efficiency gains when adopting energy-saving equipment, while also allowing equipment suppliers to quantitatively demonstrate performance.”

Meanwhile, CEO Lee Yong-sok of KR stated, “This AIP is a prime example of confirming the potential to quantitatively evaluate ship fuel savings through AI-based data analysis. KR will remain committed to providing technical support and verification for innovative technologies in the digital and eco-friendly maritime sectors.”