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BAE Systems is leading a consortium of technology suppliers to develop software that monitors the equipment, fuel and energy performance of a ship, providing real time information that is designed to help the UK's Royal Navy and commercial organisations better manage their fleets.

Building on the company's expertise in supporting Royal Navy vessels, the technology known as Ship Energy Assessment - Condition Optimisation & Routing Enhancement System (SEA-CORES) analyses big data from the complex systems on board a ship to provide a live model of its performance wherever it is in the world. BAE Systems is leading the software development, working in partnership with the University of Southampton and technology suppliers to the shipping industry James Fisher and Sons plc, Fugro and OSISoft UK Ltd. The collaborative project is sponsored by Innovate UK.

BAE Systems is testing the technology on a commercial tanker provided by James Fisher and Sons plc in Northern Europe until the end of 2016 where it will be used to monitor the operational performance of the vessel at sea to inform the operator of potential efficiencies.

Chris Courtaux, Head of Engineering and Energy Services at BAE Systems, said: "This technology will provide the Royal Navy with valuable information that will enable it to make better decisions about how it operates the fleet. For instance, reducing speed may save fuel, but could increase the wear to the engine if it sails below its optimum speed.

"Providing real time data about the impact of such decisions can help the operator to reduce fuel consumption and minimise wear on the engine, helping to cut costs and increase the availability of the fleet to fulfil operational commitments around the world. The same technology is valuable for commercial companies looking for opportunities to boost the competitiveness of their operations."

SEA-CORES has been developed in response to the increasing complexities of modern warships and the amount of data their systems produce. The technology analyses the vibration and trim performance of the vessel, its hull and superstructure state together with environmental conditions such as weather and associated ship performance characteristics, including energy consumption. The software works in collaboration with existing BAE Systems technologies Ship Energy Assessment System (SEAS) and System Information Exploitation (SIE) technology, connecting fuel and engine optimisation to model the relationships between the different ships systems. Using genetic algorithms, it then recommends strategies to optimise the vessel's performance.

BAE Systems says the technology could transform how the Royal Navy and BAE Systems maintain and support warships in the future and that the information provided could also influence future iterations of ship designs.