MacGregor Breakbulk Optimiser improves cargo carrying and planning efficiency

Maritime transport is the backbone of global trade transporting 90% of the world's cargo. The industry has not been as profitable as it could be for several years and annual CO2 emissions are foreseen to grow.

In the breakbulk market, tough competition between ship types has squeezed freight rates and breakbulk cargo is being carried on vessels that are not necessarily suitable for the cargo they are transporting. In most cases, general cargo vessels are built according to standardised specifications to minimise initial capital expenditure and the impact of the cargo system design on a vessel’s potential earnings is not necessarily understood or considered carefully enough at the new build stage and during operations.

At MacGregor, we are working closely with our stakeholders to develop solutions which will help the industry to transform its operations during the era of digitalisation and sustainability. Our extensive experience and knowledge in cargo system design and operation, focused on maximising payload, safety and efficiency, has been instrumental in the development of Breakbulk Optimiser.

Breakbulk Optimiser is designed to improve transparency, efficiency and ship operator business performance, creating value for both planners and decision makers. It is a cloud-based service that optimises asset utilisation by unifying information and creating a more disciplined way to plan cargo carriage.

"Breakbulk Optimiser delivers significant business value to customers through improved asset utilisation, which also reduces overall emissions per transported ton of cargo," says Tommi Keskilohko, Director of Customer Solutions, MacGregor.

"Variability in the cargo planning process is eliminated by the digital algorithm, resulting in a consistent approach being taken. It also enables a better ability to react to last minute changes and no-shows because the software optimises the stowage plan," adds Keskilohko.

The solution will be available early 2020 and presented at Marintec China 3-6 December, whilst further development and testing continues in close cooperation with our customers.