The proposed project SHOPERA addresses the above outlined challenges by looking holistically at integrated ship design and operational environments, and implementing multi-objective optimisation procedures to optimise a ship’s powering while ensuring safe ship operation; but at the same time seeking the right balance between the ship’s efficiency and economy, safety and greenness. Upon completion, SHOPERA will submit key results to IMO for consideration in the rule making process.

More specifically, the SHOPERA key objectives are:

•  Further  development  and  refinement  of  existing  high  fidelity,  hydrodynamic simulation software tools for the efficient analysis of the seakeeping and manoeuvring performance and safety of ships in complex environmental and/or adverse sea/weather conditions (including the consideration of winds and extreme sea events).

•  Performing seakeeping/manoeuvring model tests in combined seaway/wind environment by use  of  a  series  of  prototypes  of  different  ship  types  (bulk  carrier/tanker,  gas   ship, containership, general cargo, RoRo ferry), to provide the required basis for the validation of the employed software tools and the results obtained by numerical simulations.

•  Integrating  validated  software  tools  for  the  hydrodynamic/manoeuvrability  assessment of ships in adverse seaway/weather conditions into a ship design software platform and set-up of a  multi-objective   optimization   procedure  in  which  a  ship’s  performance  is   assessed holistically,  thus,  looking  for  the  minimum  powering  requirement  to  ensure safe  ship operation in adverse seaway/weather  conditions, while keeping the right balance between ship economy, efficiency and safety of the ship and the marine/air environment.

•  Putting together design teams that comprise designers, shipyards, owners, class and national administrations to conduct investigations on the impact of the proposed new guidelines for the assessment of the minimum propulsion power to maintain manoeuvrability in adverse conditions  (MEPC 64/4/13)  on the design  and operational characteristics  of various  ship types. To investigate in parallel  the  impact  on  EEDI  by implementation  of  the   developed integrated/holistic  optimisation  procedure  in a series of case studies. Herein, to assess in addition ship types currently not covered by the EEDI provisions, like tugs and Offshore Support Vessels.

•  To  develop  new  guidelines  for  the  required  minimum  propulsion  power  and steering performance  to  maintain  manoeuvrability  in  adverse  conditions.  Establishing minimum propulsion power and likely new EEDI requirements ensuring  safe operation  for  various types of ships.

•  Upon completion, submit results for consideration by IMO.