Huang, L; Thomas, G; Ryan, C; (2020) SEDNA sustainability and impact evaluation. (SEDNA D5.2 ). European Commission

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Abstract

As the shipping routes of the Arctic have opened up comprehensively, with the reduction of the extent of the sea ice, the number of vessels using these routes has increased dramatically in order to take advantage of the shorter voyage times between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This reduction in steaming time has the potential for positive impact on the environmental influence of global shipping through a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the Arctic remains an incredibly unforgiving environment; its highly variable and dynamic ice conditions bring about risks to ships aiming to benefit from shorter routes. To improve the safety and sustainability of Arctic shipping, SEDNA delivered five main technologies addressing the key challenges, including (a) a risk-based Arctic ship design framework, (b) anti-icing solutions, (c) a virtual-reality Arctic bridge, (d) an enhanced Arctic sea ice forecasting system and (e) an Arctic voyage planning tool. The present report assesses the results of these deliverables. By comparing the developments with the previous status, it is demonstrated that the SEDNA technologies have resulted in substantial contributions, particularly in waterborne safety, the design and entire lifecycle of vessels, the environmental impact of shipping, and the circular economy: • The SEDNA risk/goal-based design framework provides an approach to integrate the goal-based regulations of the Polar Code into a holistic design process. To this end, the framework provides the means to adapt the design of an Arctic ship to a specific Arctic route or operating area, considering that there are significant regional variations between different Arctic sea areas and that the operating conditions (e.g. ice conditions) in any Arctic sea area are subject to large inter- and intra-annual variations. To address key hazards, the approach makes use of a range of tools and approaches, including discrete-event simulations, semi-empirical and numerical design tools, full-scale ice load measurements, and accident data. The proposed holistic approach to ship design will minimise detrimental impacts over the entire life cycle of vessels operating in the Arctic, resulting in safer and more sustainable Arctic maritime operations. • SEDNA anti-icing techniques reduce the influence of ice formation on vessel stability, communication equipment and on-board safety. Anti-icing coatings were developed using non-toxic materials and achieved effective de-icing with marginal cost. • The SEDNA Arctic Bridge created a human-centred operational environment for the ice-going ship bridge using augmented reality technology to provide improved situational awareness and decision making. It provides increased safety and simplicity in the interaction between users, complex bridge-based systems, surrounding water and sea ice conditions and comprehensive navigation assistance. • The SEDNA weather forecasting system enables 7 days’ prediction of Arctic ice conditions. It provides essential weather information ahead of time as input for safe and efficient Arctic ship navigation, with additional scope to be used as a tool for carrying out observations of climate change or for use in polar expeditions. • The SEDNA voyage planning system integrates dynamic meteorological and oceanographic data with real-time ship monitoring and ice movement predictions to provide decision-making support for safe and efficient shipping-route optimisation. Considering the growing body of knowledge about future ice coverage, seasonal weather patterns and predicted maritime activity levels, SEDNA developments are expected to contribute to a safe and sustainable Arctic maritime environment. The developed technologies are not limited to academia and are currently being tested with industrial partners, as well as being used in consultations with international regulatory bodies. In addition, SEDNA developed cutting edge knowledge and techniques that offer opportunities for further development in both higher education and the broader research community.

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