A Machine Learning Predictive Model for Ship Fuel Consumption

Featured Application Featured Application: The machine learning predictive model of fuel consumption proposed can help shipping companies toward an increasingly efficient and sustainable energy consumption with reduced operational and logistics costs, supporting a more competitive position in the market in compliance with environmental and safety regulatory standards.Abstract Water navigation is crucial for the movement of people and goods in many locations, including the Amazon region. It is essential for the flow of inputs and outputs, and for certain Amazon cities, boat access is the only option. Fuel consumption accounts for over 25% of a vessel's total operational costs. Shipping companies are therefore seeking procedures and technologies to reduce energy consumption. This research aimed to develop a fuel consumption prediction model for vessels operating in the Amazon region. Machine learning techniques such as Decision Tree, Random Forest, Extra Tree, Gradient Boosting, Extreme Gradient Boosting, and CatBoost can be used for this purpose. The input variables were based on the main design characteristics of the vessels, such as length and draft. Through metrics like mean, median, and coefficient of determination (R2), six different algorithms were assessed. CatBoost was identified as the model with the best performance and suitability for the data. Indeed, it achieved an R2 value higher than 91% in predicting and optimizing fuel consumption for vessels operating in the Amazon and similar regions.