Jonas Rostad, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Miros

How well is your vessel really performing right now? It’s a deceptively simple question with enormous consequences. As the shipping industry attempts to transition to a greener future, the need for real-time performance data has never been greater. Pressure to operate in a manner that is cleaner, smarter and more efficient, i solutions are becoming more prevalent, driven by international regulations, environmental concerns, volatile fuel prices, and the commercial realities of increasingly complex charter party agreements.

Rising Pressures, Higher Stakes

These pressures are likely to increase further. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 20% by 2030,  and by at least 70%, by 2040, compared to 2008. Meanwhile, the EU is pursuing an aggressive goal of a 55% reduction across the shipping, aviation, and energy sectors. At the heart of all these challenges lies a fundamental question: Can you prove your vessel’s performance at any given moment?

Understanding a vessel’s true performance is a complex task. Weather, load, hull fouling and operational choices all blur the picture. Many current methods attempt to compensate for this but lack the accuracy to do so effectively. The consequences are significant, with charterers, shipowners and regulators often questioning performance data.

Breaking Free from Guesswork

Without accurate, high-frequency data, vessel or fleet performance analysis is little more than an educated guess. Charter party disputes drag on, costing time and money. Operational inefficiencies go unnoticed, fuel is wasted, emissions rise, and maintenance schedules are poor. The lack of clarity erodes trust and reduces the industry’s ability to meet ambitious environmental and commercial goals. For too long, the answer has been uncertain. Traditional vessel performance analyses often fall short, limited by low measurement frequency combined with inaccurate methods and data. The result? Operators are left with insights that are slow, unreliable, and often contested. But as the industry continues its decarbonization push, the availability of reliable, real-time insight into vessel performance means uncertainty is no longer an excuse.

By integrating live, high-quality vessel measurements with local wave, current, and weather conditions, as we do with the Vessel Technical Index (VTI) backed by DNV Recommended Practice, vessel operators have unmatched accuracy and precise data-driven insights at their fingertips.

Example: The measured data vs. modeled data shows that high-quality speed through water (STW) data is particularly important to allow for more accurate decision-making, greater transparency and fewer disputes over performance claims. Source: Miros

Beyond Compliance: The Tangible Benefits

The benefits extend beyond contractual clarity. Accurate, high-frequency data allows operators to reduce fuel consumption, the largest operational cost in shipping, while also lowering carbon emissions. Using VTI in combination with tools like the Dynamic Fuel Table, operators can also adjust performance estimates in real-time based on weather, load, speed, and hull condition, optimizing routing, speed and bunker usage.

By precisely measuring the impact of hull and propeller cleanings, upkeep strategies improve, and interventions can be scheduled at the best time, extending maintenance intervals, reducing costs and improving efficiency.

Real-Time Insight, Real-Time Action

Real-time data provides operators with unprecedented visibility. Measuring actual speed through water (STW) helps eliminate the effects of weather and load, making it possible to benchmark against pure water resistance.  This allows operators to determine if their vessel is performing at its best at any given time, as well as throughout its entire lifecycle. It can also help operators overcome the inaccuracies of traditional performance estimates, which can be as high as 20-50%. Real-time, actionable insights eliminate the need to wait weeks for uncertain analyses, guaranteeing faster, more accurate decision-making, greater transparency, and fewer disputes over performance claims.

Example: The benefits extend beyond contractual clarity. Accurate, high-frequency data allows operators to reduce fuel consumption, the largest operational cost in shipping, while also lowering carbon emissions.
Source: Miros

There are also safety benefits. Anti-roll assistance minimizes the risk of accidents; cargo shifts and equipment damage. This ensures operators can effectively navigate rough seas and maintain their schedules. Ultimately, it allows operators to proactively adjust course and speed based on real-time wave information, reducing structural stress and improving reliability.

As the shipping industry faces mounting environmental, regulatory and commercial pressures, the need for real-time performance data has never been greater.  Having accurate, high-frequency vessel performance data is key to navigating a safer and more efficient future.

Unlike traditional vessel performance analyses which are typically based on long-term, low-accuracy wave and weather forecasts, Miros’ accurate, real-time sea state and STW measurements deliver high-frequency and high-fidelity insights that can be up to ten times faster, ten times more accurate and ten times more valuable than the standard industry applications used in the shipping industry, making voyages more predictable and profitable.

A Future of Precision and Trust

The future of shipping will be defined not by compliance alone but by precision, transparency, and trust. As digitalization accelerates, vessels will evolve into living, data-driven assets where insights are instant, unquestionable, and seamlessly shared across the value chain. At the core of this transformation is a non-negotiable truth: the quality of decisions will only ever be as strong as the quality of the data behind them. High-quality, reliable data is not just an enabler; it is the very foundation upon which safety, efficiency, and profitability are built. Trusted data is an asset that fuels better outcomes, unlocks innovation, and ensures every decision is made with confidence. Those who adopt real-time, high-quality vessel performance data today are not just responding to new demands; they are paving the way for a safer, cleaner, and more profitable industry.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Miros