From Concept to Project to Deployment
A timeline from the first conceptual studies to the founding of the Blue Visby Consortium, through to commercial deployment.
Blue Visby Consortium
44+
members
Commercial deployment
Dec 2024
7+ grain terminals in Australia
Pilots and Trials
100+
Digital Twin Virtual Pilots and Prototype Trials involving Consortium members
Hindcast simulations
500,000
voyages simulated in real operating conditions
Key milestone
Member joining
Trial / validation
Press mention / event
Academic / regulatory
2021
Foundation
—
2021
First conceptual academic study published
Academic
First conceptual academic study of the Blue Visby Solution published in vol. 110 of Transportation Research Part D by Sung, Zografakis, Nielsen.
Dec
2021
Proof of Concept no. 2
Milestone
Proof of Concept no. 2 based on a hindcast simulation in real operating conditions.
2022
Launch & Early Growth
+19 members
Feb
2022
Submission to UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee
Milestone
Submission on the Blue Visby Solution to the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee.
Apr
2022
Ocean Conservancy study
Milestone
Study by Ocean Conservancy on the benefits of the Blue Visby Solution in underwater radiated noise and whale strike risk.
Apr
2022
University of Manchester climate impact study
Milestone
Study by the University of Manchester on the climate impact analysis of the Blue Visby Solution.
Jul
2022
Formal launch — 13 founding members
+13 members
NAPA and Stephenson Harwood formally launch the Blue Visby Consortium. The 13 founding members span shipping, classification, finance, academia and environmental organisations.
NAPA
Stephenson Harwood
Anglo American
Carbon Trust
ClassNK
CMB
Drewry
Lloyd’s
Ocean Conservancy
Tankers International
UKHO
Univ. of Manchester
Vertis
Jul
2022
Launch coverage wave
Press · 5+ outlets
Launch press release picked up globally. Splash247, Smart Maritime Network, Offshore Energy, Marine Log, SAFETY4SEA all publish within days.
Aug
2022
Marubeni joins
+1 member
Marubeni joins to develop and verify the system on its fleet of gas and chemical tankers — the partnership that will yield the 15% CO2 reduction finding in 2023.
Marubeni
Aug
2022
Launch event for the Blue Visby Consortium at Stephenson Harwood, London
Press / event
Launch event for the Blue Visby Consortium hosted at Stephenson Harwood, London.
Aug
2022
Article in Forbes
Press
Article in Forbes covering the Blue Visby Solution.
Aug
2022
First legal paper published
Academic
Zografakis, Kruit, Nardell QC & Yusupoff publish “The contractual architecture of the Blue Visby Solution” in Lloyd’s Shipping & Trade Law — the first substantive scholarly/legal articulation of the project’s contractual framework.
Sep
2022
UK Hydrographic Office report
Milestone
Report on the operational feasibility of the Blue Visby Solution by the UK Hydrographic Office.
Sep–Oct
2022
Shipowners and ship managers join
+4 members
Tanker and bulker operators Diana Shipping and TORM come on board, followed by Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and third-party ship manager Synergy Marine.
Diana Shipping
TORM
MOL
Synergy Marine Group
Nov
2022
BIMCO & Baltic Exchange join
+2 members
Industry association BIMCO joins, followed by the Baltic Exchange. Their participation anchors the consortium in the industry’s central standards and benchmarking bodies.
BIMCO
Baltic Exchange
Nov
2022
Splash247 feature: “A digital framework to collaborate on decarbonisation”
Press
First substantive thought-leadership article treating Blue Visby as an exemplar of maritime decarbonisation collaboration.
Dec
2022
Bureau Veritas & Teekay join
+2 members
Classification society Bureau Veritas and shipowner Teekay join.
Bureau Veritas
Teekay
2023
Verification & Global Expansion
+10 members · 15+ press events
Feb
2023
Korean Register (KR) joins
+1 member
A second major classification society joins, following ClassNK and Bureau Veritas.
Korean Register
Mar
2023
Ultrabulk joins
+1 member
Danish dry-bulk specialist Ultrabulk comes on board.
Ultrabulk
Apr
2023
UCL / Swansea IISTL conference, London
Press / event
Presentation at the UCL / Swansea IISTL — “Greentech and Shipping” Conference in London.
May
2023
Port of Newcastle joins
+1 member · first port
The Port of Newcastle (Australia) becomes the consortium’s first port member — an important expansion into the port-side of the arrival-optimisation problem.
Port of Newcastle
Jun
2023
CBH Group joins
+1 member · first grain exporter
Australian grain exporter CBH Group joins — its Kwinana terminal will later host the March/April 2024 prototype trials that verify 17.3% average CO2 savings.
CBH Group
Jun
2023
Article for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers
Press
Article for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.
Jul
2023
Thomas Miller joins
+1 member · marine insurance
Marine insurance manager Thomas Miller (manager of UK P&I, TT Club and others) joins.
Thomas Miller
Aug
2023
Marubeni verification — 15% CO2 reduction confirmed
Trial result
Marubeni and Blue Visby confirm average CO2 reduction of ~15% across 625 voyages on 68 gas and chemical tankers, and sign a Letter of Intent for “Blue Visby Prototype/Chemicals”.
Aug
2023
Verification coverage
Press
Marubeni’s 15% verification picked up across the trade press, including coverage focused on the letter of intent for the chemical tankers prototype.
Marubeni PR
Offshore Energy
Splash247
Tanker Operator
Sep
2023
CBH pilot program underway
CBH’s membership publicly disclosed, setting up the 10-voyage pilot program that produces 18.9% average CO2 savings.
Sep
2023
YoungShip International Helsinki
Press / event
Presentation at YoungShip International Helsinki.
Sep
2023
BIMCO President interview in Lloyd’s List
Press
BIMCO President Nikolaus H. Schües comments in an interview with Lloyd’s List that the shipping industry must adopt Blue Visby.
Oct
2023
Development Bank of Japan — first financial institution
+1 member
DBJ becomes the first bank to join. Consortium now at 31 members — more than double the 13 founders of July 2022.
Development Bank of Japan
Oct
2023
DBJ coverage wave
Press · 5+ outlets
NAPA’s DBJ press release triggers broad international coverage emphasising the “first bank” milestone.
Oct
2023
BIMCO Webinar — “Blue Visby for Beginners”
Press / event
BIMCO Webinar — “Blue Visby for Beginners”.
Nov
2023
RWE joins — first energy major
+1 member
German energy company RWE joins — a charterer-side perspective crucial for the split-incentives problem.
RWE
Nov
2023
ClassNK Innovation Endorsement announced
Endorsement
ClassNK grants Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to the Blue Visby Solution, a significant third-party validation ahead of prototype trials.
Nov
2023
Acknowledged at COP28 Green Shipping Challenge
Milestone
Blue Visby acknowledged at COP28 as a leading maritime decarbonisation initiative in the Green Shipping Challenge.
Dec
2023
Port Authority of NSW joins
+1 member
Port Authority of NSW announces joining — the consortium’s second port-side member and another Australian anchor alongside Port of Newcastle and CBH.
Port Authority of NSW
2024
Prototyping, Port Expansion & Commercial Deal
+11 members · 20+ press events
Mar
2024
Hong Kong UST joins · CBH prototype trials begin
+1 member
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology formally joins. In parallel, the first real-life prototype trials begin with bulk carriers M/V Gerdt Oldendorff and M/V Begonia, on ballast voyages to CBH’s Kwinana Grain Terminal.
Hong Kong UST
Mar
2024
Riviera Maritime Decarbonisation Conference, Singapore
Press / event
Presentation at the Riviera Maritime Decarbonisation Conference, Singapore.
Apr
2024
Wah Kwong joins
+1 member
Hong Kong-based shipowner Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings joins. CBH prototype trials continue.
Wah Kwong
May
2024
First Prototype Trial results — 17.3% avg CO2 savings
Trial result
Blue Visby’s first official press release reports 28.2% savings on Gerdt Oldendorff and 12.9% on Begonia (avg 17.3%). Trial demonstrated the software, operations, contracts, and Blue GA benefit-sharing mechanism all in concert.
May
2024
First prototype trials coverage explosion
Press · 10+ outlets
Results widely covered in trade and tech media. New Atlas’s “Ridiculously simple idea” piece brings Blue Visby to a wider non-specialist audience. BIMCO publishes its own technical write-up.
May
2024
TradeWinds article
Press
TradeWinds article on the Blue Visby Solution.
Jun
2024
OSG joins
+1 member · US Jones Act
Overseas Shipholding Group joins, extending the consortium’s reach into the US-flag tanker market.
Overseas Shipholding Group
Jun
2024
HKUST study on the health impact of SFTW
Academic
Study by the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology on the health impact of SFTW and the Blue Visby Solution.
Aug
2024
Port of Rotterdam & Port of Yokohama join
+2 members
Two of the world’s most significant ports join: Port of Rotterdam (Europe’s largest) and Port of Yokohama. A meaningful credibility signal on the port-side.
Port of Rotterdam
Port of Yokohama
Sep
2024
NorthStandard joins
+1 member · P&I club
Major P&I club NorthStandard joins — protection & indemnity insurers are key stakeholders in the “Blue GA” general-average-inspired sharing mechanism.
NorthStandard
Sep
2024
BIMCO submission to IMO MEPC 82 on SFTW and Blue Visby
Milestone
BIMCO submits a formal information paper (MEPC 82/INF.32) to the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, placing the Blue Visby Solution on the global regulatory agenda.
Oct
2024
Panama Canal, Inchcape & UK P&I join
+3 members
The Panama Canal Authority joins — a landmark, given the Canal’s central role in global shipping congestion. Maritime services group Inchcape and P&I club UK P&I also join.
Panama Canal Authority
Inchcape Shipping Services
UK P&I Club
Nov
2024
Seanergy and Kowa Marine join
+2 members
Bulk carrier owner Seanergy Maritime and Japanese ship manager Kowa Marine close out 2024’s member additions.
Seanergy Maritime
Kowa Marine
Nov
2024
Second Prototype Trials — 29% avg CO2 savings
Trial result
Marubeni LPG trial: 16 LPG tankers, 40 voyages, 3 months, ~29% avg reduction, tested in a First Come First Served operational environment. Demonstrates Blue Visby works in both terminal-stem and FCFS scenarios.
Nov
2024
Second-trial coverage wave
Press · 10+ outlets
The 29% Marubeni trial result gets broad trade-press coverage across energy, bunker, and shipping publications.
Nov
2024
Acknowledged at COP29 Green Shipping Challenge
Milestone
Blue Visby acknowledged at COP29 as a leading maritime decarbonisation initiative in the Green Shipping Challenge.
Dec
2024
CBH signs as first commercial customer
Commercial deployment
CBH Group announces it has become the first global customer, marking the transition from R&D to commercial deployment. The deal covers a portion of CBH Marketing & Trading’s 2025 exports from Kwinana.
2025
Commercial Deployment & Independent Validation
+3 members · 10+ press events
Jan
2025
Great Eastern Shipping joins
+1 member
India’s largest private shipping company joins, alongside continued coverage of the CBH commercial deal.
Great Eastern Shipping
Apr
2025
Interview for Bunkerspot
Press
Interview for Bunkerspot.
May
2025
Bureau Veritas validates Blue Visby methodology
Validation
Independent validation by Bureau Veritas confirms the emissions-methodology, AIS-based voyage analysis, and digital-twin simulations underpinning the solution. The key credibility endorsement for mainstream compliance use.
May
2025
Bureau Veritas validation coverage
Press · 5+ outlets
The first commercial voyage (M/V Sifnos to Kwinana) gets certificate presentation. Maritime Executive, Bureau Veritas newsroom, and others cover.
May
2025
ship.energy Podcast
Press
ship.energy Podcast featuring the Blue Visby Solution.
Jul
2025
IUMI Webinar
Press / event
IUMI Webinar featuring the Blue Visby Solution.
Sep
2025
West of England & Port of São Sebastião join
+2 members
P&I club West of England joins — deepening insurer representation. Brazil’s Port of São Sebastião becomes the consortium’s first South American port.
West of England P&I
Port of São Sebastião
Oct
2025
World Bank report on energy efficiency in shipping
Academic
Blue Visby showcased by the World Bank in its report on energy efficiency in shipping.
Oct
2025
Tokyo event on the BVS Avoided Emissions Framework
Press / event
Consortium members Carbon Trust, BIMCO and Development Bank of Japan co-host with BVS an event in Tokyo on the BVS Avoided Emissions Framework, the result of collaboration between BVS and Carbon Trust.
Dec
2025
Named by Thetius as a top 50 maritime start-up
Press
Blue Visby named by Thetius as a top 50 maritime start-up.
Jan
2026
IIMS thought-leadership piece
Trade publication
The International Institute of Marine Surveying publishes a framing piece treating Blue Visby as a defining example for a sustainable blue economy, in the wake of IMO MEPC 83 and the Net Zero Framework.