Award-Winning NHH Innovation Could Cut Offshore Emissions
NHH students Martin Sollesnes Kleppe (left) and Oliver Karlsen have been awarded the Lehmkuhl Grant for developing a new tool to improve the energy efficiency of supply vessels.
One is a trained sailor. The other grew up close to the sea. The winners of the Lehmkuhl grant may have cracked a code to make the offshore industry greener. Their master’s thesis has been praised by the jury, led by NHH Professor Øivind A. Nilsen.
«The thesis has attracted attention during presentations to scholars, industry practitioners, and policymakers, as the topic is innovative and of high societal relevance. The suggested solution shows strong potential for practical application, even without a company start-up,» the jury stated.
The award was presented during the Lehmkuhl Lecture, held by Telenor CEO Benedicte S. Fasmer, in the NHH Aula last Thursday.
The students’ supervisor was Gabriel M. Fuentes, Associate Professor at the Department of Business and Management Science.
«A very nice recognition,» says Martin Sollesnes Kleppe.
«It’s incredibly exciting to receive this kind of attention. We’ve spent many long days working on this,» adds Oliver Karlsen.
So what exactly have they discovered?
New approach
Oil platforms and other offshore installations rely on supply vessels – OSVs – to transport goods, equipment, and personnel to sea.
These vessels often remain stationary for long periods, which is essential for tasks like seabed operations or diving missions.
The technology that enables this – without using anchors – is called dynamic positioning. The system uses the vessel’s thrusters and rudders to maintain its position. But as we know, the sea is rarely calm. The higher the waves and the rougher the conditions, the more fuel is required.
«Wind and weather constantly push against the vessels. That means the dynamic positioning systems have to work continuously,» explains Karlsen.
Fuel consumption is a major cost for the industry, and companies are actively seeking ways to reduce it. NHH students Karlsen and Sollesnes Kleppe put their heads together and found a completely new approach to the problem. The key: the vessel’s heading.
The heading, or direction, of a ship relative to wind and waves significantly affects how much engine power is needed to keep it stationary.
What the students did was combine existing weather data with advanced technical analysis. This allowed them to develop a digital tool that can indicate the most energy-efficient heading for vessels at any given time.
Great potential
Calculations suggest that the method could reduce fuel consumption by up to 15.5 percent – a potentially significant contribution to a greener offshore industry.
«Cutting fuel costs is absolutely crucial for the industry. We believe what we’ve developed could be a useful tool if implemented,» says Karlsen, who secured a job in the shipping industry during the thesis work.
The duo’s work has already attracted attention in the industry and among researchers.
«We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from presentations we’ve given at conferences,» says Sollesnes Kleppe, who now wants to delve deeper into the topic. He has applied to NHH’s PhD program.
The grant is worth NOK 50,000 and is awarded to current or recently graduated students who have demonstrated exceptional abilities to promote Norwegian business within the fields of innovation and/or entrepreneurship.