Hobart: Penny Haire, managing director of oceanographic IT firm, Tidetech, is absolutely convinced that shipping will have to embrace green technology and the sooner the better.
“Going green is a business decision and those who pursue these technologies most aggressively will see the earliest returns,” she maintains.
Since Maritime CEO last interviewed her a year ago, Haire and the Tidetech team have been busy primarily in research and development of its new global combined tidal and ocean current forecast. Launched at the end of last year Tidetech boasts the first vessel optimisation application offering combined tidal and non-tidal current data for integrated vessel speed and route optimisation.
Tidetech has also been working with customers to integrate its data with their routing and voyage optimisation products.
Customers are increasingly seeking a one-stop shop for met-ocean data (weather and oceanographic), so that they don’t have to shop around from different providers, Haire notes. Others are looking for oceanographic data to complement the weather data they already have.
Meanwhile, Tidetech and NAPA have agreed the supply of tidal current prediction data for ship optimisation, initially for Southeast Asia and Europe and there’s plenty more to come, with Haire revealing: “We will be announcing two more important signings in the near future.” [13/02/14]
