The technology group Wärtsilä and Rio de Janeiro based Companhia Brasileira de Offshore have signed an agreement for Decarbonisation Modelling. The objective is to support and accelerate CBO´s journey towards decarbonised operations for its fleet of offshore support vessels, which is one of the largest in its segment in Brazil. The agreement was signed in August 2022.

The advanced Wärtsilä platform utilises a vast bank of vessel data and machine learning algorithms, and is supported by the company’s extensive in-house experience in systems modelling. A detailed analysis will be made of the potential benefits to CBO of both short- and long-term solutions, including digitisation, energy efficiency and energy saving devices, hybridisation, and future alternative marine fuels, with a particular focus on the viability of ethanol fuel. The intention is to have a complete report finalised before the end of this year.

“CBO is strongly committed to establishing a leadership position in minimizing the environmental impacts caused by shipping. Decarbonising our operations is, therefore, a priority, as is safety, which is why we are taking advantage of Wärtsilä’s expertise and competence to define the fastest and most cost-effective solutions to achieve these goals,” explains Marcelo Martins, CBO’s Technical and Commercial Director.

This is Wärtsilä’s first Decarbonisation Service agreement for the Oil & Gas segment in Latin America, and its second in the Americas. “We are very proud to be able to extend our close partnership with CBO through this decarbonisation agreement. We will work together to evaluate all possible solutions, taking into account their pros and cons, to find the most environmentally friendly and commercially viable alternatives for the fleet,” says Hanno Schoonman, Wärtsilä Sales Director for the Americas.

Over the years, Wärtsilä has accumulated a number of important milestones  serving the maritime industry. The most recent of these was the contracting of a hybrid battery solution for CBO, the first ever for a Latin American shipping company, thereby emphasising the forward thinking of both companies. This system will be installed on the PSV CBO Wiser (vessel with Wärtsilä project) which is operating for Equinor Brasil as a result of a win-win negotiation for its long-term charter agreement.

“Partnering with companies like CBO, which is committed to making our industry more sustainable, and which has a long history of innovation and pioneering, is a perfect match for our ambition to transform the maritime industry. We could not be more excited about the potential and the positive difference we can achieve together,” says Lucas Corrêa, Wärtsilä’s Senior Market Innovation Manager for the Americas.