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Numerical investigation of ship fuel consumption optimization through weather routing in the North Brazil Current region

Author

Listed:
  • Meier, Rafael
  • Fucatu, Carlos Hakio
  • Amaral, Giovanni Aiosa
  • Almeida, Kaique
  • Dotta, Raul
  • Malta, Edgard Borges
  • Mendes, André Bergsten

Abstract

Voyage optimization methods can enhance vessel operational efficiency and provide insight into key parameters essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as weather conditions, vessel speed, and routing constraints. This work evaluates the effects of favorable and adverse environmental conditions on fuel consumption, focusing on their influence on the vessel’s speed through water. A weather routing system was developed using an adapted Dijkstra’s algorithm to optimize trajectories based on a minimum fuel consumption objective function. Simulations analyzed the influence of the North Brazil Current on both transoceanic and coastal voyages. The results show that under favorable environmental conditions, route optimization is strongly influenced by the interaction between vessel speed and ocean current patterns. At intermediate speeds, fuel consumption efficiency was comparable to or even better than at lower speeds due to improved alignment with favorable currents. However, at low speeds, the optimized route converged with the shortest path, indicating limited benefits from current-assisted deviations. Under adverse weather conditions, fuel consumption increased monotonically with vessel speed, resembling still-water navigation and reducing the potential for optimization. Seasonal analysis along the northern Brazilian coastline revealed a consistent trend of reduced fuel consumption from June to August. A regime diagram summarizes how voyage legs can be classified based on energy expenditure, highlighting the limits of achievable fuel efficiency improvements under varying environmental conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Meier, Rafael & Fucatu, Carlos Hakio & Amaral, Giovanni Aiosa & Almeida, Kaique & Dotta, Raul & Malta, Edgard Borges & Mendes, André Bergsten, 2026. "Numerical investigation of ship fuel consumption optimization through weather routing in the North Brazil Current region," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 344(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:344:y:2026:i:c:s0360544225053162
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.139674
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    References listed on IDEAS

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